Chronowing
by VioletVendetta363
Summary: Takes place after Firewing. Chinook, Shade, Griffin, Goth and Marina are determined to change the tragedies that happened to them, so they set off on a journey to change the past.
1. Chapter 1: The Past Hurts

Chapter One: The Past Hurts

Chinook blinked his dark eyes as he stretched his long, muscular wings, waking up from his tangled dreams of flashing pictures and blurred noises. His dreams never made any sense, and it was no thanks to the constant chitter and chatter from the fellow bats in their colony, always keeping him half-awake so what he saw in his mind was never completely fake, but never completely true which always made Chinook confused on what was dream and reality.

He envied Shade's natural intelligence. He would probably have no problem at all sorting out what was true or false. And not to mention, if he had Shade's smarts, he may have figured out earlier, that discs and studs the Humans had attached to him were bombs, so he would have been able to save Plato and Isis, his father and mother, before they died in the explosions. That was another thing that kept him from falling into complete sleep. It always bothered him that if he was even a tad bit brighter, maybe they would still be with him. A sudden small tear rolled from his eye and he quickly blinked it away, rubbing his cheek against his shoulder, to dry off the dampness in his fur. There's no use crying about it now. It was the past and it would never change. He had to be tough on the inside, to match his outer looks, being the most promising hunter and flyer and all.

He sighed. It wasn't at _all_ easy being the best. Chinook chuckled lightly, remembering those times when Shade would grimace and grind his teeth, jealous of his strength, popularity and looks. It was never Chinook's first idea to be a bit of a bully to Shade sometimes, okay, _most_ times, but Shade, being all brainy and weak looking, made it so hard not to crack jokes and just laugh at the way he was. Sometimes he may have gotten a little too far, forcing Shade to prove himself by glimpsing the sun, but it was always so entertaining watching the small bat's troubled emotions lead to wild antics that no one else dared to do.

And it wasn't like being the little bat that Shade was, was such a loss. Chinook remembered that time when _he_ himself accidentally angered a raccoon, and when it began to chase him all around the forest without end, he actually found the perfect hole in a rock that the raccoon couldn't possibly fit its nasty muzzle in. He thought his idea was so smart until he unfortunately experienced that _he_ couldn't fit in it either, resulting in him painfully splatting face-first into the rock. Stupid rock. It's not like it was _his_ fault for being large and not-so-bright…it…it was the _rock's_ fault for not making the hole big enough…! Well, _maybe _it was his fault for being unable to calculate the size of the hole in the rock… He huffed in distate at himself. _Chinook, you can fly with ease, catch tiger moths like it's a breeze, but you can't frickin' calculate the size of damn holes in rocks…? What the bat is wrong with you?_ It's not like it was _his_ fault, escaping predators was what _Shade_ had to do, poor Chinook had absolutely _no_ experience in judging the size of stupid holes in rocks, while for _Shade_ it was probably something like second nature.

A sudden angry gurgle emanated from his stomach and he tinged with embarrassment. Here he was, _still_ on his roost, silently complaining about Shade's _smarts_, when everyone else was already hunting outside. It reminded him of the saying '_first come, first served'._ Chinook was most definitely _not_ the first to come like he usually was, so he could guess all that were left were probably weak little flies and bland, gauzy mosquitoes. He frowned. He was looking forward to eating another satisfying tiger moth and some large juicy beetles, like he did every night. Oh, well. Tiger moths were very difficult to catch anyway, so there may still be some left.

He let go of the branch he had roosted on and with a few light flaps of his large wings, effortlessly glided out of the tree and flew into the night.

* * *

Chinook pulsed with annoyance, stomach empty, protesting against his urge to resist eating the mosquitoes and flies that are easy as hell to catch. He needed to show the world that he was still the old Chinook; that Shade's death didn't change him into someone he didn't recognize anymore.

He didn't even know he cared for Shade until he died. Shade was the runty bat that he had always laughed at for Nocturna's sake, so why did his death change him so much? How did Shade's death show Chinook all the good qualities that he had had? Chinook felt tears brimming at his eyes again, but this time he didn't bother to hide them. He let them spill like rain on a stormy day when the sky darkened to gray and the thunder growled in the distance.

Now that Shade was gone, he really didn't have anybody to prove to about anything, nobody to protest against what he could or could not do. Jarod always agreed with everything he said, truth or lie, his other friends just went along with his brags whether they believed him or not and the elders didn't even care. Life was so…he would sound selfish if he said _boring_, but honestly, there was no better word for it. Why did he have to suddenly disappear…?

A slender figure flew gracefully below him and he veered softly to the left and shot down to join her. Marina. He'd always liked her and had gone crazy when she denied becoming his mate. She was smart, fun, kind and nice-looking, just like him, except he wasn't very smart or that kind. He would've enjoyed her company very much, just them roosting together, some nights just staring out into the distance, looking at nothing in the particular…

"Hey, Chinook," Marina's soft voice piped up.

"Oh, hi, Marina…" Chinook said quietly. His voice was calm, revealing no real emotions.

"You've been really quiet, since, well, since Shade…You know…I think if Shade…was…still here…maybe he might have found you… more tolerable…"

She smiled sadly. Her voice kept pausing, tears caught in her throat. It was hard for her to speak of his death, without choking down her feelings and forcing herself not to cry.

"Really…? Well, I guess…maybe I…changed…a bit…" Chinook mumbled. He'd lost his once boastful voice; it died down to a soft low timbre, like the sound of thunder if it could be rhythmic and soothing to listen to. He shook his head at his foolishness. Stupid. Thunder could never be rhythmic.

"What are you thinking about? You always look so troubled. I almost can't remember the days when you never had a care in the world, always so lively and flaring your wings…"

"Well, Marina, I-

She sighed in frustration. It began to rain and the rain drops pelted down on her cheeks, rolling down her jaw like tears.

"Chinook, if this is what I think it's about, I'm sorry, but I have to say no. It doesn't matter if…if Sh-Shade is d-dead or alive, th-there will never be an, us. I'm sorry if that wasn't the answer you were looking for, but my answer will never change. I'm sorry,"

"But Marina, I don't underst-

"And you will _never_ understand why, until you try to put yourself into my shoes. If your soul-mate died would you immediately mate with another to erase your memories of her? Would you throw her away like a dead animal?"

"Marina-

"Would you…? Would you, Chinook…?-

"Marina, please let me finish…!"

A heavy silence filled the air. Marina sighed deeply and decided to let him go on.

"It's not about us, being together. Trust me, Marina, I've thought that over a million times and you've rejected me enough for it to get to me that we can never be like that. I just don't understand why Shade would just disappear, be gone, so suddenly, it's selfish-

"You don't have any idea what greed actually is-

"Let me finish, please, Marina…didn't I just say that a moment earlier…? What I'm trying to say is that it looks like a noble deed, sacrificing himself for Griffin, but how selfish is it to leave his family, his friends, his son and not to mention, you, leaving you all, coughing dust in his shadow, if that makes any sense at all,"

She looked at him defiantly, fur lifted, furious.

"I don't want to believe you, but who else can I trust…? Griffin won't even talk about Shade anymore,"

Marina pounded angrily towards the foliage of the trees, not looking back at him once.

Chinook just sighed again, beginning to stare blankly into the distance, finally understanding what Shade had felt when he was alone.

He flew furiously towards the rising sun, squinting his eyes, but still looking hard, trying in vain, to find his tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2: Life as a Spirit

Chapter Two: Life as a Spirit

Feeling the soft warm breeze rustle through his wings, Shade sailed over the treetops; letting the wind carry him away, up into the clouds above. It felt odd, the cold condensed drops just falling _through_ him, rather than clinging onto his sleek black fur or sliding off his rough, weather-beaten wings and chilling him to his bare bones. He was part of the air now, never feeling the discomforts of the cold, hunger or restless nights when the hours seemed to drag on, but in the same essence, he never felt warm or truly filled with joy like he once did when he was alive.

In the beginning, Shade forced himself to embrace it like a new experience, telling himself that now, life would be different, and he would be able to do things he'd never imagined possible when he had been alive. And he was right, to some extent. He watched countless sunrises without worry, and the wind carried him to places he'd never been before. Yes, there were those benefits of being a floating spirit, but that didn't mean it overcame the hurt in the past. Life appeared easy, simple now, but something told him this wasn't the life Nocturna had promised for him. There was something more…

Griffin. The name struck a pang of guilt inside him, like a hard punch in the gut. It felt strange, realising the hurt on the inside wasn't much different from physical pain, but the aftershock just never seemed to go away. It wasn't immediate or sharp, but it lingered like a bad smell, like the scent of the many filthy pigeons roosting in the old clock-tower so many seasons ago. It felt worse, because you never knew when it would go away. And sometimes it never did.

Shade remembered it all, the light drain from his son when Goth tore his life force from him to greedily take as his own; the demonic monster of a bat having no space in his world for anyone but himself. Griffin's body had went cold and limp, his eyes sealed shut, wings open, worn out from endless flapping about seeking the escape from the dark world of the dead.

Then the events flashed faster, moments blurring into each other, chasing time like whirlwinds, Shade falling, bashing headfirst into the cold stone ground, his own life energy pouring into his son, then Griffin and Luna flying through the knothole in the tree, Shade following close behind, flowing like the wind itself, racing to catch up with them.

And then the rush of relief that had filled his soul as his eyes were graced with familiar sights, the towering oak, maple and cedar trees with their lush damp leaves teeming with the buzz of insects and the constant twitter of birdsong, with the night sky and scattered stars like shattered ice overhead. He'd zipped through the forest, in and out of rocks, flowers and animals, feeling the warmth, cold or whatever sensation was inside of them. It felt exhilarating, exciting at first, but it died down soon enough.

He couldn't see his reflection when he flew over the rushing streams.

He could no longer sing echoes, paint images or move objects with them.

He was no longer _alive_.

He was no longer _there_.

Shade couldn't accept that. He couldn't accept slowly fading away, until he himself may forget that he still existed.

He _needed_ to believe again.

He _needed_ to return to Griffin and Marina.

He _needed_ to live again.


	3. Chapter 3: Alone

Chapter Three: Alone

Griffin stood upright; wings stiff and cold, wrapped tightly around his furry body, claws locked onto the branch of an old oak tree. He ceased to move, speak or blink. If one didn't look closely at him, he could pass for being dead.

He grit his teeth, chest heaving with heavy breaths, breathing in the cold, crisp, but stale winter air, letting it fill his lungs with chills and shivers. He might actually die if he didn't breathe. But what's the matter, anyway? Is that even such a problem?

Some time ago, the only friend Griffin had was Luna, and then after she was gone, Marina became a more careful mother, always constantly making sure he was okay; staying out of trouble. The attention had been a little annoying, but now he wished to have that attention more than ever. Marina wouldn't even speak to him anymore now. It was like he wasn't even there.

Maybe he had made the wrong first decision. He had decided never speak of his father's death or anything even slightly related to him, because he thought that might just hurt Marina, but the more he talked about things having nothing to do with Shade, the more cold and distant she grew. Now she could barely be called a mother. The only thing she would say to him now was 'good night' even though he slept in the day time. Griffin started to get the impression Marina was slowly falling prey to her dark emotions, digging herself deeper and deeper into a pit that would never end.

The crows cried mournfully above him and the harsh wind whistled sharply, making his teeth chatter. Griffin's blank, dead eyes watched the soft rolling hills in the valley that were covered in snow, as a flock of geese flew across the gray skies. He should go inside and warm himself. But he was stubborn. It's not like Marina even cares anymore. If he went in now, fur caked in snow, nose runny, eyes teary and wings stiff with ice, she would just shake her head wait until the snow melted from his fur, the whole time never even meeting his eyes. If she really cared for him she would come out of their roost and tell him to get out of the cold. And if she didn't, he would know what to do. Griffin would freeze himself to death. Maybe she was better without him.

As silent as a whisper, a young owl settled beside him, watching him with wide, fascinated golden eyes. Griffin tensed a bit because even though she wasn't that large, she was still much taller than him. She was a beautiful owl, completely snow white except for some a small sprinkling of black speckles on her breast feathers. There was snow and ice caked in her feathers, but she didn't appear the slightest bit cold. The owl hooted softly and wrapped a warm wing around him. Griffin jumped with surprise.

"Aren't you cold?" She asked quietly, confused.

"Oh. Yeah, I'm freezing, actually," Griffin mumbled.

"Then why did you get so scared when I wrapped my wing around you?"

Griffin blushed, red with embarrassment, but not for the reason you'd expect.

"Well, the war against owls and bats weren't too long ago, so I sort of forgot that, well, you know…"

The owl couldn't smile because of her beak, but her eyes warmed a bit.

"Well, the war is over and peace is restored, so we are equal, we can be friends now!" She said happily.

"Yeah…But, hey, how come you're alone too? Don't you have parents or friends or something?"

The owl jolted in fear, her feathers suddenly sucked in, sticking close to her body, and she appeared to have shrunk much smaller than she was before. She was almost as small as Griffin was and it frightened him, just the same.

"It's the Humans. They've discovered something. The forest I once lived in is now overrun by their flying machines and other machines of destruction. Several moons ago they were digging a huge hole in the center of the woods and now it looks like they found what they are looking for. They're destroying the _entire_ forest, just to obtain this _object_ that they deem is so important! What could they possibly have found that would make it necessary to burn down _everything_…?"

Griffin sighed and shook his head, glaring at the ground, his claws digging into the bark.

"It doesn't have to be _important_. When you are a _Human_, you believe you are so _superior_, so _powerful_ compared to everything else, that you do ridiculous things for no real reason. My father told me about this when he was still alive. Shade told me all about how the Humans tortured _hundreds_ of bats, _capturing_ them in some artificial forest and then attaching _bombs_ on their bodies by _sewing_ them onto their bellies, so when they landed onto ground they would _explode_. But what can we do? We are nothing in their eyes. We are not as strong as they are and we don't have the ability to create the machines that they make to destroy us. We can only go along with what life brings us,"

She looked at him with disbelief, squinting her large golden eyes at him like he was crazy.

"So you are…fine with it…? You're…okay with what they are doing to us…? Do you even have the slightest voice of your own within you that tells you something is horribly _wrong_? Why can't you see that we can't keep _living_ with these _Humans_ always using us, always _killing_ us to _their_ advantage?"

"I _know _that it is horribly wrong but _what_ can we _do_…? If they torture us more than what do we do, _attack_ them with brutal strength…? They'll just spray one of those sweet poisonous gas tanks my Dad told me about and we'll all get knocked out one by one. They have _dangerous_ weapons and not all of them have to harm us physically on the outside, like knives or bullets to kill us. If they fed us poisoned bugs or small animals we would die just the same. Face it, no matter what we will always be outnumbered by either how many of us against how many of them, and by brains. Clearly, they know more than we do,"

She stood their silent, but her anger didn't go down one bit.

"So _that_ is supposed to reassure us, _encourage_ us…? Knowing that if they ever decide to harm _us_ there is absolutely _nothing _in the _entire _world that can _help_ us, that there is absolutely _nothing_ we can possibly _do_ to _save_ ourselves…? It's all _over_ and there is absolutely _no_ hope anymore… Are you seriously _giving up _on _life_…?"

Her round gold eyes bore into his and Griffin started to get a bit creeped out.

"Well, enough about that. Can you at least come with me and let me show you what they found? You'll probably know more about it than I will and who knows? Maybe it can help us in some way,"

"I don't know. Marina might end up searching for me and then-

"Who's Marina? Your mate-

"_No!" _If Griffin's dark fur didn't cover his face, she might have seen his face turn bright purple from a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. "...she's my, well,"

"Parent or guardian, right?"

"Something like that…" Griffin muttered.

He wouldn't call Marina his Mom anymore. She would never talk to him and she didn't even seem to care that he returned to her. She was always staring out into the distance, just silent and unblinking. She lost her title as Mom. Who knows? Maybe Griffin might not roost with her anymore if she was always going to be acting like his existence never meant much. She seemed so happy when he first arrived back home, but that was just because she was anxious to see someone return. Now it was like she didn't even care.

"Alright, I'll come with you. I am a bit curious, when I think about it,"

She brightened up, swelling back to her normal size, eyes shining.

"Great! Follow me; we have a long way to go!"

With no effort at all, she took off, so silent it was unnerving, as Griffin flapped noisily behind her, because although his wings were long, it was rather difficult for him to maneuver them. He suddenly envied her feather covered wings, they looked so much lighter, easier to fly with and she could also hide herself perfectly against the snow. That would certainly be a useful trick for him, especially for hiding from predators in the winter like wolves, wild cats and some of those bears that would wake up in the middle of their hibernation because they didn't stuff themselves enough.

Griffin's stomach grumbled, complaining about how he had never eaten since last night but he kept it in. He was curious.

What could the Humans have found?

Would it help or would it destroy?

There was something deep within him, something deep inside that pleaded oh, so hard that the object could be the answer.

Maybe Marina could smile again.

Maybe he could bring his father back.

Maybe he could save Lun-

"Hey, my name's Luna, by the way," She called behind her back.

Griffin froze and suddenly began plummeting towards the ground, hundreds of feet in the air, until he finally regained his balance, trying to spread his wings evenly, trying his best to fly smoothly.

Seriously.

Ever since the owl came, there was no end to the surprises.

**Hey, guys. I really didn't think this chapter was that good, it kind of went a bit off the topic and it didn't really help move on the plot, so this is the rewrite. Oh, and by the way, I think I'm gonna hit a writer's block really soon, so it would be a huge help if I had some more feedback about my work so far, any ideas, or suggestions. Thanks! :)))**


	4. Chapter 4: Returning to Shade

Chapter Four: Returning to Shade

With the icebound forest far behind her, Marina angrily pounded her wings, fighting furiously, at the equally violent winds that tore at her fur, sending tiny shards of ice into her skin; stinging her face to the point of pain. Her wings began to grow stiff and leaden and the cold sent tremorous chills down her spine but despite the weather, it was the safest to travel in a blizzard. There were always some fugitive owls who were unhappy about the sudden peace between the birds and the bats and who knew what dangerous predators lurked around in the winter?

A distant light shone dimly against the messy blur of white and gray around her, and the echoing _bong_ that grew louder with each wing beat told her she was getting close. _Almost there, you're almost there,_ Marina told herself.

As she neared her destination, visible lights grew more numerous, as the heavy storm slowly died down, revealing hundreds of bright white points of light shining out of buildings and street lamps. A dark, superior structure loomed over all the other buildings surrounding it, overlooking the whole city. It held no light, but its powerful height and echoes of continuous deep sound commanded attention to itself better than all the lights in the city. The clock tower. She was here.

But her destination wasn't exactly _inside_ the clock tower. Oh, no, she'd experienced the inside of the tower that unforgettable winter with Shade and she _never _wanted to go in there again. Sudden flashbacks zoomed into her head. The filthy pigeons, their spindly feet pressed down against her body, their claws digging into her skin, scraping at her wings, their shrieks and snapping beaks threatening to tear her eyes out…it was almost too horrible to reimagine it, everything tinged in white and black. Never had she had a more ominous night, other than that time facing Goth with his fangs lashing out at her, heated breath and spit spraying at her face, his massive wings, not to mention his mouth, threatening to rip her heart out and eat it whole. It made her sick with nausea just thinking about it.

She settled near the large clock area of the tower and tried her best to resist being blown off by the enormous waves of continuous noise emitted from it, and hurriedly dove into the opened mouth of one of the stone gargoyles that sat comfortably, having never dealt with any problems in life other having no Humans to clean the daily bird scat that dropped on their bodies leaving nasty dried clumps where the rocks were once smooth and possibly shiny.

Marina sprayed sound and jumped as millions of tiny bugs became lined in quicksilver in her mind and quickly flew out. It wasn't the one she was looking for. But it _had_ to be that one. She remembered clearly what the gargoyle looked like, pointed tongue sticking out of rows of jagged teeth, a horridly ugly face with round eye balls staring to no end, because of course, it wasn't alive. It looked like all the others except it had a peculiar broken ear. It always confused Marina because quite a large chunk had been cracked off, where the ear was unexpectedly the thickest. It would have taken quite a bit of time and effort to wear that much of rock off, so it felt ridiculous that any creature would bother passing their time like that.

"Ha, ha, please mind the bugs, my friend! I don't come out of here very often!" A familiar wise old voice bellowed from inside the gargoyle.

Marina breathed a sigh of relief. It _was_ the right gargoyle.

She flew in again and got greeted by an old friend. Zephyr, an albino bat, completely white from the tips of his ears to the claws of his toes, smiled kindly, the skin around his eyes crinkling softly. Marina quickly returned the smile, but she couldn't lie that his clear, white eyes and transparent wing membranes that showed his dark veins, scared her quite a bit when she had first met him and the memories didn't completely fade away yet. Still, he had been a kind friend and a lot of help in the past, so she kept her fears to herself.

"Hello, Zephyr, I know we haven't seen each other in quite a while, but we are still good friends, right?"

He smiled thoughtfully.

"It is not the quantity of time you have to know someone, but the quality, so yes, we are still quite good friends, so, how can I help you? You seem troubled,"

Marina bit her lip uneasily, ears twitching.

"Well, my son Griffin hasn't been talking about my mate Shade at all, so I am worried that something may have happened to him that I don't know of…"

Zephyr's eyes grew dark, or as dark as white could possibly become (which wasn't very dark, Marina realized) and his voice became gravely serious.

"Word appears to not have reached your ears yet. Griffin doesn't tell you the truth, fearing you will never forgive him, never speak to him again. But it also appears that you don't seem to talk to him anyway, so he may tell you sooner or later. I could tell you what happened to Shade, but it's only going to be a matter of time before you find out anyway. You don't really need my help on discovering that because it won't move you forward and you can find the answer elsewhere. Tell me what you really want to know,"

Marina took several deep breaths, bracing herself for the inevitable answer of that she couldn't be helped. _It's impossible_ she thought. _Zephyr can't help me with what I want, this time. _She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, grinding her teeth together, hoping for the best, but knowing the worst would come. She sighed again.

"If-if Shade is d-dead…is…is there some…possible way I… could…change that…?"

Zephyr let out a tired sigh like he repeated the same thing to many bats and they just never listened. Marina doubted that she would listen either. She didn't want to think that seeing Shade again was impossible. She refused to believe it.

"Time travel…is not simple, my friend…and it is most definitely uncertain on whether you can return to normal time again. Many of my friends have time traveled but none have returned to tell the tale. It's dangerous, messing with the dusts of time, and I heavily urge you to find another solution. You don't want to die, stuck in a time period of which you are not supposed to exist in, or still alive in at somewhere else. You will confuse the events, and I cannot guarantee you will even be able to rescue Shade in the end…"

She looked down at the claws of her toes, tears rimming her eyes, and then slowly falling down her jaw, blurring her sight. Marina didn't want to see the rest of the world, knowing Shade wouldn't be able to see it with her. Shade was gone. Nothing could be done about-

Zephyr suddenly let out another sigh, but this time it was more frustrated than tired, as if maybe something could be done, but it wouldn't be easy.

"If you are really desperate to get Shade to return to you, then there is another alternative that has recently entered my mind. But before I continue, how is Griffin, I might ask?

Marina's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't been worried about Griffin, since he'd returned to her; she thought he was perfectly fine now that he was back. A sudden thought shot through her mind. Maybe she'd _neglected_ him. Maybe she made him feel like he was _forgotten_.

"I-I, well, Griffin- he seemed fine- he-

"Are you so sure? How do you know if you never _bothered_ to _ask_?"

Silence. Marina couldn't say anything.

"So, after being trapped in the Underworld of the Dead for several days, you assume that after he comes home, everything is _fine_? Before you worry about your dead mate, you must worry about what you still have_ left_; your son. You act as if his return meant _nothing_. Do you understand how he feels? I hope you do, considering you should be plenty familiar with becoming alone after your entire Brightwing colony _abandoned _you because of a simple metal band. Why can't you understand that your son may feel lonely right now, too, as you once had?"

"Well-

"First things first, I need to get something straight. You _do_ care about your son, correct? Because if you _don't_ and believe that he can easily be replaced in some other form, you have made things _much_ easier for me. If your son is not of any value to you, I can easily _trade _his soul for Shade's, so Shade's soul has a body to live in, because Shade's spirit is actually in _our_ world right now. But you will have to live with your son being either dead, or you will have to covet the life of another being to fill his body with a soul. It may get quite troublesome, so it will be easier to just forget him, and leave him dead, if Shade is who you truly care about, after all…"

"_Shut_ your mouth; you don't know _anything_ about _Griffin_…!" Marina shrieked, baring her teeth, tears streaming from her face again.

"-you don't _understand _why I want Shade back. Griffin won't talk to me or anything and he refuses to even explain what happened to Shade. Shade's death, his disappearance is killing Griffin. He is growing cold and silent, and it _is _partly my fault, but _Shade_ needs to return _as well_. See, even more importantly, Shade's death is destroying _me_. I can't _live_ with the idea that he is _gone_, in fact, I can't even be a proper mother to _Griffin _anymore…"

Marina broke out into miserable, broken sobs, breaths ragged and cracking, drinking her own salt water tears as they slid down from her eyes and dripped into her open mouth, trying her best to cover her face with her wings, her shell shaped ears pinned back on her head, making herself appear smaller, weaker.

"Alright, then. Since you appear to now care about Griffin, I will explain the other alternative. There has recently been an object discovered by the Humans, that has been messing with my ability to look into the past and future. The future was changing constantly, but what puzzled me was that this object messed with the past, much more violently. Anyone in contact of this tool could immediately go back in time to where they wished and change events, but the end result is never certain. The object chooses whether you get what you wanted in the end; either you come out alive with what you were looking for, or you are trapped in there and die trying,"

Marina's ears shot up and her eyes lit up like stars in the night sky.

"Tell me where to find this object,"

And so Zephyr began to explain.

* * *

It was much easier flying there, than it had been, getting to the clock tower to meet Zephyr. Marina suddenly remembered the smooth, light pump of Chinook's wings and tried to copy them to get there faster, even though she was fast enough as is. It struck her as strange how she was suddenly thinking about him and she quickly switched her thoughts to seeing Shade, seeing his smile; seeing her own reflected in his eyes. That made her happy.

The clouds soon gave way, and soon Marina's eyes were graced with a majestic forest of towering evergreens, their pine needle filled branches all covered in soft fluffy snow. The scent of the pines, cold and spicy swirled in her nostrils and she wrinkled her nose, the smell a bit strong. She silently landed and with a quick fold of her wings, hung upside down, looking around for any sight of the Humans. There. Coincidentally _right_ below her. Marina shook her head, silently scolding herself for getting so distracted by her recent thoughts that she hadn't bothered to look out for Humans.

Slowly she inched closer and closer to the dark trunk of the old fir tree that had lost most of its needles, making it easier to move around on, but harder to hide in. She sucked her breath, clinging close to the trunk like its sticky sap had covered her fur and glued her on. If Marina made herself thinner by making her fur stick close to her body and folding her wings as tight as she could, maybe she could blend in and observe what the Humans were doing.

They spoke in quiet, but harsh tones, occasionally snapping at each other in their language that she didn't understand. It annoyed her that she couldn't make out what they were trying to say to each other, since who knew how much precious information she was missing? A sudden memory hit her again, Shade always finding the info and her always tagging along to make sure he didn't know anything she didn't. Good old times. She sighed. How she missed those times.

Marina squirmed, trying to make it as subtle as possible, trying to see what the object looked like. It was so annoying; the Humans always either had their large hands around it, or their heads blocked her view completely. She had a sudden urge to swoop down and take off with the object in her claws, but they obviously had those machines that sprayed poisonous gas that would knock her unconscious and then they'll probably just capture her again and use her for whatever evil plan they had in store _this_ time. _Humans are always up to evil plans on destroying whatever we weak and helpless creatures have left_ she thought angrily. When would their greed for hoarding whatever things we still have, end?

She glared defeatedly at the gray sky, squinting in confusion; it was almost like the light behind the clouds could eat through them, since how else it could possibly be so bright when filmy clouds covered it entirely? The Humans will never stop taking until there isn't anything left to steal. Then they will kill each other and take whatever _they _had left. And then again, how did she know that they didn't do that already? The bombs they had attached to them, a bit ago, were set to land on certain buildings. Only Humans lived in buildings. Could they have started killing each other so early?

The world the Humans lived in must be very complicated and fragile if they already began to destroy each other. _Who knows,_ she thought, _maybe they will become the victims of themselves someday. Then they will finally understand how we feel, being tortured and thrown around at their liking. Nocturna will get back at them._

The Humans began to move away, walking briskly towards the truck that awaited them that would soon leave and probably never come back. Marina decided to take her chance.

She dropped down like a bullet, restraining herself from folding her wings and then unfurled them at the last minute, claws just touching the object at first, then suddenly clutching onto it like dear life. Hands grabbed at her, closing around her body and she snapped at the fingers, biting the skin from most of them and in the rush of events, accidentally tore one from the hand, quickly spitting it out onto the ground, spattering dark blood onto the stark white snow. A horrible scream emanated from the man and the Humans retreat quickly, rushing the injured one into the truck. She sighed with relief; they hadn't brought those poison gas tanks that would knock her out.

As she left the forest behind her, Marina strained to fly harder, faster, grumbling at the surprising weight of the small object, tightly held in her claws. She would never let it go until she flew back to her roost. She couldn't take any more chances now.

But she got curious. Her claws felt around the strange object, stroking the smooth array of buttons on one side. But one accidental click was all it took.

Marina was gone.

**Hi everyone! Sorry for posting this chapter so late, I was really, really busy last week so I completely forgot about it...:'( (I have horrible memory skills...they can't even be called skills...) Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5:Freedom and Revenge

Chapter Five: Freedom and Revenge

Goth smiled, lips curled, his dagger like teeth gleaming in the pale moonlight. Everything was going according to plan. _Soon, soon_ he told himself, _soon, you will satisfy Zotz and take your revenge_. Everything was set perfectly in place. He was ready.

_O dark lord, I will make you reign once more. You will own the eternal night. Everything will be rightfully yours once again._

A sly, low voice hissed like a snake writhing in pain, laughing quietly, dastardly at him.

_You have failed me, Goth, when I had given you the chancccccccce, how do I know you won't do it again? It would be far easier if I left thisssssss job for a more promising king, ssssssomeone who will succeed my biddings rather than continuously _fail_ like you have done._

A snort of disgust rippled from the unsatisfied being, none other than Cama Zotz himself. After Goth had, as he had stated _continuously failed_, Zotz was beginning to lose his faith in the bat that appeared so much mightier than the others. _If his brain is barely a portion of how large his body is, he is useless as scum _He thought with distate. He could easily swallow him, leaving him forever trapped, churning in the thick, dark liquids in his stomach, and let him slowly die in this abyss-like grave. Goth surely deserved it, the worst possible death. He couldn't do anything.

_O, lord Zotz, I ask for another chance, for I am sure I can succeed this time._

Zotz only sighed, his voice sending shivers down Goth's spine.

_If I give you one lasssssst chance you _better_ not come back empty handed. If you do, be prepared for the worsssssst death imaginable, in fact, imagine that and multiply that by one thousand timesssss. I will not be impressed if you fail._

As unsuspecting and mysteriously as it had come, his presence faded away suddenly, like he was nothing more than air.

Goth breathed in, the stale, foul air, smelling of dead beings (he restrained himself from gagging) filled his huge lungs with power and belief. He knew what he had to do. He would gather more and more Vampyrum Spectrum together by the tunnel he had finally completed and use them for the next solar eclipse to free Zotz once and for all. It was simple, but it would take time. Goth had all the time in the world. That wasn't much of a-

A sudden boom of laughter clapped like thunder and it shook Goth violently, annoying him because he wasn't usually jolted so easily.

_You don't have that much time, Goth. It will take a very, very long time if you wait until at least one hundred life forcessss appear here for you to ssssssacrifice to me. The Humans have discovered sssssomething that can help you with your matters, I'm glad to ssssay. It appears to turn back time…_

Almost as if on instinct, an immediate thought coursed through Goth's mind. If he could turn back time, _he_ could be the one tearing Shade's heart out and eating it whole. He had lost that chance when Shade committed suicide, narrowly missing Goth's last attempt at killing him. Goth could see it now, unfolding before his eyes. He would get his revenge on that nasty little bat that somehow foiled his plans before. He would get revenge once and for all.

_Thissss…is what I hate the mosssst about you, Goth…Always paying so much attention to detailsssssss and forgetting the overall picture. Forget about killing Shhhhhade…Free me firssssssssst and then worry about revenge. Revenge is not you firsssssst priority. If you fail me again, I will personally resurrect Shhhhhhhhhade if he dies to mock you for your defeat. Do_ _not__ fail_...

Goth didn't need any more encouragement than that. Seeing Cama Zotz himself resurrect Shade from death would be worse than death itself. He would much rather die one thousand times, then see Zotz stoop low enough that he would side with his opposing force that was constantly trying to destroy him. _If you can't beat 'em, join 'em._ No. Goth would not believe that Zotz couldn't beat Shade and his fellow companions. Zotz was the all-powerful, almighty, the ultimate Lord of-

_Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! You really think I am that sssssssuperior? I wish I could say I am quite gratified to hear you say such humble thingsssssss, but it doesn't help that you aren't the cleveressssssst king around. If I was that powerful I would be ruling now in eternal night. But no. I need strong warriors to ssssssserve me, to bring me to the top, and it doesn't help that you are ultimately _uselessssssss_…_

Goth hung his head in shame. If Zotz could just not give up hope on his hopes of finally becoming the great ruler of all-

_You are sssssso…what's that word…?...oh, yesssssss…_stupid_… I haven't given up on my wish to become ruler of all…I have simply given up on…_ you.

That statement whacked him in the head like a rock. So Goth hadn't been going insane. Zotz really _had_ given up on him.

_I will make you proud, Zotz. I solemnly promise you will never think ill of me again…_

Goth flapped hard towards the opening of the Underworld, a hole in the ceiling of stars, wings leaden by the insults thrown at him from the one he served with all his might and tried to drown out, or just bear the haunting, echoing laughter that continued to follow him, long after his last sentence.

* * *

The Humans were gone. Griffin looked desperately around him, toe claws moving slowly across the rough bark of the branch from the naked poplar stripped of leaves, stiffly turning in all directions and sighed in envy at how Luna could just simply turn her head in almost a complete circle without moving her body. A revolving head. Griffin shivered in fear. He'd never noticed that in owls until now. But there were times that he found that quite fascinating. Like now.

"Where are they…Luna…? You told me the, the, Humans would be here!"

"I told you that _hours_ ago, they could be _long_ gone by now,"

"Then _why_ did you take me here?"

"Well, I, I hoped you could, maybe, live with me, from now on…"

"_What_?"

"M-my parents…they, they…

"They died didn't they?"

"N-no! H-how can you s-s-speak of d-death so indifferently?"

"My dad died some time ago and Mom is as good as dead now, too,"

"Oh…well, my parents didn't exactly _die_, they…_disappeared_,"

"Well, they're probably dea-

"No! I won't accept that! They flew away to hunt one night and the next thing you know, they're just gone! I spent years looking for them but they never showed… I've grown lonely. Please, just leave your mother, you said she's as good as dead and, just live with me now…please…"

"I've been dead lonely for almost all my life; it isn't that hard to bear. Just pretend you're independent instead of alone. It helps…a little. And think of worst-case scenarios. Like being dead,"

"I'd much rather be dead than be lonely for my entire life!"

"Really? When you die, it is actually quite a selfish thing, leaving others to pick up where you left off, fix your broken promises, leaving them to fend for themselves-

"Are you saying you think your father's death was…selfish? What exactly did he die for?"

"I was dead and so was…my friend…Luna…and so my dad sacrificed his life for ours-

"How is that considered the least bit selfish-

"Why couldn't he have found some _other_ way to save us? Mom doesn't speak to me anymore, so I haven't lost one, but _both_ of my parents…! How is that _not_ selfish?"

"Maybe he didn't have enough time-

"Which is exactly why I want to go back in time to give him enough. Come on. Let's head back. Maybe we missed it,"

Griffin flew off, back into the sky as dark clouds loomed over the sky, signalling that a storm would soon begin again and Luna followed close behind. She sighed, feeling sorry for him, as he shivered, chilled to the bone, even though he tried with all his might to hide it. He had gone through too much, too young. So had she. Her life had been too broken, too many gaps, she couldn't remember certain things and her parents mysteriously disappeared one fateful night. But she would find them again. Just as Griffin would find his father.

Suddenly a harsh wind thwacked at Griffin and he just gave in, plummeting like a rock towards the ground. Luna screeched in surprise and pulled her wings close to her body, compressing her feathers, then flipping upside down, diving deep, falling in and out of clouds, but she couldn't catch up. He was falling too fast.

She looked around, but in vain, for there was no sign of water or anything to soften his fall. Griffin would surely die and join his father as a spirit. Luna couldn't live with that. She pushed harder, forcing herself to reach devastating levels of speed, enough to crush her to pieces if she didn't stop, and hurriedly held onto Griffin, his limp, furry body clutched tightly in her talons.

Luna tried to stop her fall, but the pressure of the air was too strong and she forced herself not to scream in agony as she heard the horrible, snapping _rip_ as both her wings were torn from her body. Luna plunged into the ground, blood spattering everywhere, unimaginable pain searing at both her sides that once had wings. Blood pooled all around her, in irregular puddles, and she began to grow more and more woozy by the minute. She was losing too much blood. She looked at Griffin, unconscious, but miraculously unharmed other than the fact that his left wing was broken, hanging at a scary angle. At least they would die together.

Luna turned her head, as best she could and saw a particular rectangular-shaped object with several buttons in different shapes and sizes, with many wires coming out of it from the side. It was probably just one of those broken machines that Humans made, but still, she was curious.

She dug her talons into the bloodied snow and wincing in pain as she inched herself closer and closer to the object, more blood spilling from her deep wounds each pull she took. Suddenly she was right next to it.

Luna didn't remember it perfectly, but it seemed like she saw this before, somewhere, but her brain was so dizzy, so blurry, so _distorted_, that it was impossible to go back to that moment. She clamped her beak hard. How much she wished Griffin hadn't given up so soon.

She slammed her talons on to the object in desperate anger, smashing in the buttons as tears began to fall from her eyes.

A flash of white exploded around her and then everything surrounding her melted away, into eternal night.


	6. Chapter 6: Finding Your Tomorrow

Chapter Six: Finding Your Tomorrow Through Blurred Vision

Dawn. Through night and day Chinook continued to fly, chasing after the sun, but somehow it was always several steps ahead of him. Sometimes he wondered why he was putting so much effort into this. What would he find when he reached the sun? Tomorrow. Yes. Maybe he could find his tomorrow.

To Shade's confusion, he found himself constantly following _him_ rather than returning to Marina's roost to see how his mate and his son were doing. But deep inside him, he knew why. There wasn't much to see there. Griffin grew cold and distant as Marina grew silent, fading away into something of the past.

It fascinated him why Chinook was trying so hard to reach something that could not be reached. But it was strange because Shade couldn't figure out whether this vain endeavor was out of stubbornness, desperation or just plain stupidity. It was impossible to reach the sun without burning into ashes. The heat of the sun in the middle of summer was searing hot and sticky with humidity to say the least, so he couldn't even begin to imagine the unbearable pain when you even got a bit too close. But what surprised him the most was how Chinook wasn't blind by now. After days upon days of squinting into the sun he didn't show one single sign of blindness. It was a miracle.

"I know you're here," Chinook spoke suddenly.

Shade jumped, toppling over, however wind could. Chinook was looking _directly_ at him, _directly_ into his eyes.

But he was now a floating spirit of the air, invisible and in an immaterial form. How could Chinook possibly _see_ him at all…? It was impossible.

"Who said anything about _seeing_ you? Being able to sense your presence isn't that hard. All I have to do is concentrate and I feel that whenever you're around, it's cooler, and not as painfully hot as before. It makes me think of _shade_ and then I know it's you,"

"Can you hear me?" Shade asked quietly, partly to himself, knowing that Chinook probably couldn't. Being able to sense a spirit was astounding enough, being able to communicate…Maybe the world really didn't have limits.

"Yes. I can hear you, Shade. I'm not _deaf_," Chinook said, frustrated and clearly offended.

"No, that-that's not what I meant, Chinook, h-how can you see me?" Shade asked, growing more confused and fascinated by the second.

"You're clear as day to me. But I can't say the same for anything else. I'm almost blind. All I see are distant points of light and the rest lies in my mind's eye. But I see you crystal clear,"

Shade couldn't speak. He was amazed beyond words. The sun blinded Chinook but gave him the ability to see _him_ even though he was an invisible spirit. Not to mention that Chinook had changed. He was no longer the young, proud, boastful bat who looked down at those smaller than he was. He was calmer, more reserved, quiet, intelligent, and he seemed…to…really have grown… Something about the new Chinook made Shade miss the old one, and the other half of Shade wished he had seen this side of him before he had to die. That made him sad.

"Why won't you go back to Marina and Griffin? Have you _forgotten_ them…?" Chinook asked, hurt, even though this wasn't even his problem.

"No, Chinook, I-

Shade tried to protest, but Chinook wasn't as patient as Marina.

"Then _why_ won't you visit them…?"

"I can't,"

"_Why_…?" Chinook whispered angrily. Here was Shade in perfect condition and Marina and Griffin were worried sick, that they even _left_ their home to find him and Shade wouldn't even _visit_ them to tell them he was _okay_. Who did he think he was?

"Because- because…I'm dead…"

Chinook laughed. But it was cold, harsh with no sign that it could actually be laughter. He had a disgusted look on his face and he just shook his head.

"No, Shade. Don't you _dare_ lie to me about something like this. You can lie if you didn't think we were ever friends. You can lie if you never felt the slightest bit of sympathy for me. You can lie if you hated me when Marina and I began to become friends. I know that feeling of envy, when she chose you. But don't lie about the fact that you are _dead_. How can you possibly be _dead_ if I can see you?"

"Well, you have the ability to sense _spirits_; it's really the only explanation that I can think of-

"Shut up, Shade! Quit messing with my head! I-I know…I know…"

Chinook trailed off, believing himself, less and less.

"Don't tell me I'm crazy, Shade. I-I know what I'm seeing…"

"You're not, Chinook. You just have the astounding ability to sense spirits like me. Now, please tell me where Marina and Griffin is,"

"I don't know,"

Shade's ears twitched in annoyance.

"I'm serious. I need to know where they are,"

"So am I. I really don't know. They just disappeared,"

"Then please help me find them. Please, Chinook, you're the only one who can see me, well, _know_ that I'm actually _here_, anyways…"

"But, but I'm looking for…"

"What are you looking for?" Shade asked softly.

It wasn't often Chinook wanted to find anything, to discover things, because he'd thought Chinook had no sense of adventure. It made Shade quite curious.

"My…my…tomorrow…" He whispered, flushing red, embarrassed, knowing Shade would probably laugh at his inability to describe it with better intelligence.

"Hmmm…?"

But Shade _did_ understand, deep inside him. He just wanted to test him to see if Chinook really meant what he said.

"I-it doesn't really make sense…I know…"

It felt strange being the one embarrassed, when he had been the one ridiculing Shade for most of his life. Or the life that he knew, anyways.

But Shade smiled a knowing smile.

"I am too. Let's find our tomorrow together,"

And no more was said, as they both flew away, leaving their prejudices behind them, so they could begin their journey with a fresh start, and more importantly, so they could simply enjoy each other's company, for once in their lives.

**Hey, guys I know this is a bit off topic, but I'm going to write a fanfic on Airborn too, soon, so, be sure to check it out when I post it! Bye, for now. :)**

**P.S. I'm going to be away for a few days, so I apologize, but you'll have to wait a bit for the next chapter.I'll be back soon!;)**


	7. Chapter 7: Into the Past

**Hey, guys. Like I said in the new chapter update of The Ask and the Answer, I'm so sorry I haven't updated in such a while...I had almost completely forgotten about updating...! (So ashamed of myself...:'() So, here's the newest chapter you've been waiting for! Happy reading!**

Chapter Seven: Into the Past

Marina awoke in a new world. It was exactly as it was before, before Shade was gone, and yet, it seemed different, strangely different. Everything seemed _changed_, distorted, somehow. Marina wondered why.

She closed her eyes and listened to the chatter of the birds high in the trees, hiding behind branches that spanned out in fresh leaves, and the constant whir of insect's wings swirling around her in circles. Usually, it made her happy to hear the sound of flittering, buzzing wings because it told her that a meal was in the air (literally) but now, it just seemed a nuisance, because she was straining to hear something else.

There was a sound; she wasn't exactly sure what it was, but there was _something_ that seemed, _missing_. It was one of those sounds you hear every day that it seems so natural, like breathing, that it seems to fade in with your surroundings, and yet you know exactly when it _isn't_ there. But what could it be?

Marina shook her head and sailed towards her roost, deciding she'll eventually figure it out. It was no big deal. Right?

She dived through the small knothole and comfortably settled on a ledge inside, folding her wings and flipped upside down. She breathed in the damp musky scent of the old oak's bark that was probably teeming with large beetles. But for some reason, she wasn't hungry, and for the first time in her life, the thought of bugs disgusted her.

Slowly recovering from her sudden thought, Marina looked around and nearly toppled over when she saw another female bat in her roost. Her wings were long, muscular and her fur was thicker and brighter than a Silverwing's. She had to be a Brightwing. Like herself?

The bat turned around and Marina had to freeze in her spot to keep from shaking in fear. The female bat had shell-shaped ears, dark, shining eyes and an elegant snout. It was a Brightwing _like_ her. It _was_ her.

But _how_? How could this be? Marina then realized she had been so focused on seeing Shade again, she'd forgotten to even look at herself.

Air. Invisible. Immaterial. Nothing. Where were her wings…? Where were her toes, claws…? Marina flew over a softly churning brook and she couldn't believe her eyes.

Where was…she…?

She had disappeared altogether.

The other Marina appeared unaware of her, and that frightened Marina. But then she thought carefully. If she herself couldn't see her body, then how would anybody else be able to?

Marina then realized another detail. The bat wasn't moving. It was as if she was _frozen_ in her spot, like she was _waiting_ for something to happen.

She flew swiftly and rammed right into her, but instead of getting knocked backwards from the impact, she just got sucked straight in.

The other Marina's eyes flashed suddenly, like she was brought back to life. She shook her head, getting the dust out of her shell shaped ears. She stretched her wings, and smiled as she breathed in the damp air of her roost. She hadn't moved in such a long time.

"Who are you? How did you wake me up?" The other Marina asked.

Marina found herself unable to speak, only able to communicate through her thoughts.

_I am your spirit. I have entered your body and now you can move, see, breathe again. I came here for a special purpose._

"And what purpose is that?"

_Your mate Shade is going to die. I have come to help you stop that._

Marina stiffened, unsure whether it was from fear or annoyance.

"H-How d-do you kn-know…?"

Not only did it bother the other Marina that her _spirit_ appeared to know more than _she_ did, but Shade dying frightened her so.

_I was in the present and I travelled to the past. You are from the past, but it can become quite confusing. If you consider now as the present, you may say I came from the future. Either way, you must do as I say to save Shade. There is no other way._

The other Marina nodded slowly, still rather unsure.

"What do I do?"

_When Shade enters this roost and tells you that he wants to go save Griffin, you must plead to go with him. That's the only way you can make sure he doesn't die. Or if he does, at least you both die together, in peace._

"But, I don't know if I can do this…"

_Then let me do the talking. Tell your mind to keep your actual voice shut while I take over. Don't worry. It shouldn't take long._

"B-but, can you act like...me…?"

_You're such a silly idiot, Marina. I'm your spirit. I _am_ you._

"O-okay…whatever you say…"

At the exact moment, Shade dove into the knot hole and smiled as he saw Marina. Marina's spirit gathered up all her guts and decided that she'd make the first move-

"Hey, Marina. Sorry I came so late…I was in a little…you know…trouble…"

Marina shook her head and laughed.

"It's okay, Shade, just promise me you won't do any more dangerous things…please…I wouldn't be able to live with myself if…if…if you…died…"

Tears welled up in Marina's eyes and she wrapped her wings around Shade, who was suddenly bewildered at her unnatural surge of unexpected emotions. He whispered to her, quiet comforting words, and hugged her as well, for a very long time.

He had never felt so warm in such a long time.

He didn't want to be the one to let go.

But Marina wouldn't let go of him until he stopped, so slowly and reluctantly, he pulled away.

"Actually, Marina, I'm sorry to break it to you, but I was thinking…

"No, Shade! Don't go rescuing Griffin; it's too dangerous! Stay with me. Please,"

Marina hung her head and kept her eyes shut, waiting for Shade to respond.

Shade sighed in frustration.

"Come on, Marina, you're making me choose between you and our son? You know, I'd never be able to decide! Please, don't you want to see our Griffin again? Won't it get lonely, just the two of us…?"

"We can never be alone if we're together. Please, stay," Marina pleaded, in vain. She was too afraid to look him in the eye.

"Look, Marina, I want to stay with you but as Griffin's father, I must do something about this-

"Then take me with you. If we die we die together. Does that sound fair…?"

Marina's voice trembled, weak, scared.

"Marina it's too-

"Don't talk to me like that, Shade! Don't tell me it's too dangerous! Do you truly know what is dangerous? If I lose you and decide not to live after that…! What kind of mother would that make me…? …Do you really want Griffin to go through _that_ kind of _pain_…?"

She spoke the last sentence quietly; to make sure it would take effect.

She heard a satisfying sigh as Shade gave in. Perfect.

"Fine. But you must do as I say, or neither of us will make it out alive, got it?"

Marina smiled warmly.

"Yes, of course,"

Shade huffed in frustration and shook his head.

"Marina, I don't know what has gotten into you, but you aren't acting like yourself…"

She bit her lip uneasily and cocked her head to the side.

"Yes, I know, but you know what…? I can't help thinking that what lies ahead of us will be amazing, that everything will be okay in the end,"

Shade glanced at her and smirked, surprised at himself for doing that.

"I sure hope you're right. Otherwise, we're doomed,"

Marina laughed her tinkly laugh, like the sound of tiny silver bells, which made Shade smile at that memory, a long time ago.

"Come on, Marina. We've got no more time to waste,"

"I'm right behind you!"

And with that the two bats headed underground, into the deep and dangerous Underworld, unprepared for what twists and turns that lie ahead of them.

**So, did the ending of that chap sound a bit too optimistic...? Sorry...I haven't updated in such a while my style is starting to fade...But no worries, I'll probably be back to my normal self after a few days and a good night's sleep (I haven't slept too well for the past to days, so I'm going kind of crazy...:/)**

**Anyways, see you later! ;)**


	8. Chapter 8: Fugitive

**Hi everyone! Behind Shade, Marina and Griffin, Orestes is my fourth favorite character so I couldn't help but give him a role in this story too! He only had a very small appearance in Sunwing and I only knew a little about his character, so I may have changed a few things and he might be a little OOC. Sorry if that's a pain...**

**And with Orestes appearance come some new characters you will soon meet! The plot on turning back time is going to get a whole lot more complicated now that Orestes and his soon to be new friends discover why the Humans want this rectangular shaped object so badly. Things are going to get interesting...**

**Oh, and if any of you guys thought chapter seven was a little confusing there are some notes at the end of this chapter to sort some things out. And they may or may not contain spoilers depending on what you think spoilers are... Happy reading! :)**

Chapter Eight

King Boreal stood ferociously, feathers puffed proudly, talons grasping tightly on a lone branch of an old oak tree, thickened with ice, and although his size was rather small for such a prestigious title for an owl, he gave the appearance of a strong, fierce king. His son Orestes stood beside him, a younger, livelier version of the great king, but his stature was much different. Orestes was hunched over, shivering bitterly against the cold harsh wind, beak chattering, eyes constantly blinking from the tiny ice shards that constantly aimed for them. He looked weak, scared, and nowhere near ready to become king. Boreal knew that. That troubled him.

"Look at the world around you, son. What do you see?" Boreal's voice rumbled, weathered from age, but in the same time exuding great power and wisdom.

"I-I can't really see anything because of the stupid snowflakes, Dad," Orestes protested feebly. Really, he didn't want to look weak, but those snowflakes just wouldn't give up.

"Then close your eyes. Now what do you see?"

"Nothing."

_Thwack!_ King Boreal's port wing slapped sharply at the back of his head and nearly knocked him over. Orestes's talons dug deeper into the wood to keep himself steady. He looked at his father in disbelief.

"What did you do _that_ for, Dad? I was telling the truth!"

"No. You see calm, serenity, peace. You see conflict, war, and anxiety all disappear, melting away into a beautiful cloak of darkness,"

"I don't think like you, Dad! I only see what's on the surface, not what's within and all that junk!"

"Would you like to continue arguing with me and stay stupid as you are, or become wise and composed like me? And please do not call me _Dad_, Orestes; it is _King Boreal_ until the day I pass on,"

Orestes sighed deeply, frustrated and rather annoyed. Even though his father had a tendency to be harsh and controlling, there was no doubt there was wisdom and strategy behind those fearless golden eyes. He needed to learn from him in order to be ready to become King. Right now, he was just Prince Orestes, merely a pawn in this dangerous game war, deceit and death. But soon, soon, he would become King.

"Now, son, it is time for me to let you in on a-

"Sorry for interrupting, Dad, er, _King Boreal_, but how come you still refer to me as _son_ not, well, _Prince Orestes_,"

_King Boreal_. That name felt strange, foreign on his tongue. He wasn't used to referring to his father directly as _King_, so somehow it made him feel even smaller than he already was. Orestes didn't enjoy feeling small, especially when his actual size and personality weren't that large in the first place. He wanted to feel important. He wanted to feel like he was needed, not a simple nuisance or someone who was just _there. _He wanted to feel special.

His father shook his head, muttering to himself in annoyance.

"I am of higher rank, so I may choose what I call you, but if you would like for me to call you _Prince Orestes_, I'm sure it won't mean much harm…"

"Oh, no, no, uh, _King Boreal_, please do call me son…!"

And yet, he didn't want his Dad to call him _Prince Orestes _or_ Prince Boreal_ or whatever other stupid royal names there were. If his Dad really did start calling him that, he would feel like it cut off the bit of connection he had with him, like instead of father and son, it would simply be king and prince, or knight, because, certainly, Orestes barely even acted like a _prince_. He was nowhere near as knightly and bold as his fathers trusted guards and, well, _knights_, so he might as well have been a, hmmm, he thought, what level of royalty were below knights? He shook his head in shame; he should've been studying about his father's kingdom, rather than have been playing around with his friends. Now, he really did feel like an idiot.

"Alright, son. Now I have to let you in on a little secret,"

"What is it, Da-, _King Boreal_? Oh, Dad, can I please not call you _King Boreal_, it just doesn't feel right-

"Silence! You must act like a prince now, son, or you will never be a king! Now, listen closely because I will not repeat it. You must not tell anyone what I am going to tell you because it will cause fear and corrupt panic in our kingdom,"

"Okay, okay, _King Boreal_, I get it. Just please tell me already…!"

"Don't rush me, son. We…" King Boreal looked at his son, with serious eyes

"- have formed an alliance with the Vampyrum Spectrum,

Orestes froze. The wind continued to howl and the snow continued to blind him, yet in his mind it was completely dark and silent. But he didn't feel calm and happy. He felt empty and cold.

"_What_…_?_ Dad, how _could_ you _do_ this- this horrible thing, how could you- ? After all the hard work the Silverwings and the Owl Kingdom did to defeat Zotz from creating eternal night, you decide to _betray _them, _betray _your_ own_ people…? What made you agree to such a horrid- you're literally corrupting the peace we fought so hard to make just a few years ago! How can you just throw it away-?

"SILENCE! Orestes, you must learn that sometimes the best decisions aren't always easy. I thought long and hard about this-

"Well, you haven't thought hard enough! Think for some more time and realize how wrong this decision is-

"SILENCE! I refuse to listen to a son that speaks to me in such a disputable way. Find you manners before you ever speak to me again,"

"Then I will never speak to you again. I have always looked up to you, Dad, because of your strength and wisdom, but this time, I won't stand by your side. I _refuse_ to be your son from this day forward! Until you change your mind I will be a fugitive! I'm better off that way, better off than ruling a kingdom with such dishonesty and betrayal,"

King Boreal grinned at his son cruelly.

"You think you are so high in the royal owl family, huh? You think you get to call the shots? If you refuse to be my son, that is perfectly fine, I will just move the king's title to someone else, someone who I trust can bring honor to this position in the kingdom,"

"But, Dad-

"If you would like to become a fugitive, fine, but then I banish you from my kingdom and you must live outside of the forests where I rule. You have three days to make your decision. If you have left my kingdom within those days, you are never to come here again; you are exiled. If you are still here, I will force you to cooperate, become king and never ever leave this kingdom. Choose wisely,"

And with that, King Boreal pumped his impressive wings and glided smoothly towards his tree to his hollow, leaving Orestes alone and vulnerable, shivering in the cold.

But Orestes didn't need three days. He didn't need any number of days at all. He hated his father for making such a cruel decision, working with the _Vampyrum Spectrum_ of all the things he could do. As king, Boreal had so many choices and he chose to side with _them_? For what, power, riches or whatever could be gained? All Orestes knew was this had to be a trap. The Vampyrum Spectrum were evil and didn't do anything out of kindness and knew nothing of fair trade. They would lead his father, his kingdom to ruin. Orestes would _not_ let that happen.

Though frost had begun to cling to the edge of his flight feathers, Orestes sailed fearlessly through his father's forests, in search of some place to spend the night. But the fields of snow and ice never seemed to end and the sun was beginning to go down, making the sky glow golden yellow, fading into pale violet when he heard a soft moan in the distance.

He came across a thin wolf lying on its side, one of its legs gruesomely torn almost all the way from its body. It had already lost a lot of blood, drenching the snow all round it in pools of deep crimson. It was a horrid sight and Orestes nearly passed out from the stench of blood.

Orestes had a kind heart and immediately wanted to help the wolf, but upon seeing its muzzle soaked in dark blood and its teeth stained as well, he quickly retreated several wing beats from sudden fear. Then he sucked in a couple breaths telling himself that this poor animal was probably tortured to the point that food probably wasn't its top priority right now, in fact, who knew if it was even still _alive_. He flew timidly towards the wolf's face and studied it curiously. He heard it breathing very softly, and Orestes sighed with relief. It _was_ still alive.

He gripped his talons on a thick, furry fold of skin on its neck and dragged with all his might, but she wouldn't budge. The wolf was too heavy and he was too small. He would have to help her in some other way.

"…tear it off…please…tear it…" She whispered almost inaudibly, breath ragged and shaking.

"Um, tear what…off…?" Orestes asked shyly, rather confused.

"My leg…my injured leg…is almost…it's almost…off already…it won't heal…please…please…just tear it…make it quick…please…"

Orestes flew over to the leg that was hanging by a small part of its skin and a few strings of sinew. The deep pink moist muscles, strewn with red, had been torn clean off the yellow-white bones and everything was a big bloody mess. Orestes was hungry, but this vulgar sight made him want to puke everything he had just eaten the night before.

He took a careful look at the small piece of skin and sinew and clamping his beak tight around it, ripped it free in one sharp jerk of his neck. The wolf shrieked a mournful cry, like a cross between a scream and a howl and the minute Orestes spit out the remaining skin, more blood began to pool, spreading out like a murderous mob of crows. He jumped out of the way and looked at the poor wolf in disbelief.

"You made me harm you even worse! Now you are losing even more blood! What do you suppose I do now?"

She smiled weakly at him.

"I never intended to survive. I just asked you to do so, so I could die without pain. I was already dying anyway; you couldn't have saved me…"

"I-I could have! You, you just gave up hope too quickly! I know I could've done something, at least something to help…!"

"You had wanted to help me; you didn't run away in fear like the others. That is good enough for me. I thank you for your gratitude…"

"But-

Suddenly Orestes heard another wolf howl in the distance.

"Solaris! Solaris? Where are you…?"

A male wolf with dark grey and white fur, lanky but muscular, ran swiftly towards him, yellow eyes filled with worry, ears pulled back in fear.

When he saw the horrid sight, he snarled viciously, his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared as he pounced onto Orestes with sudden strength, pinning his wings down with his large white paws, sharp black claws piercing into the flesh underneath his feathers. Orestes froze, eyes darting left to right, talons clenching and unclenching, scared to his very bones. Who was this wolf? Who _was_ this monster?

"_What_ did you _do_ to her…? You better tell me _what_ you did to _Solaris_ or I will-

"Marko…" She whispered weakly, barely breathing.

The wolf turned in surprise, ears perking up.

"Solaris…? You're still alive…? Please, please tell me what that wretched owl did to you; I will _avenge_ your death, I promise-

"No…Marko, I-I asked him to do it…I…I'm already dying…I…" Her voice had no true sound, just empty breaths like wind escaping her mouth.

A horrid wet noise emanated from her throat and more blood sputtered from her lips, spattering pools of red all around her. Marko's eyes widened in alarm and he jumped off Orestes and bent by her side. He nudged at her cheek, tears spilling from his eyes.

"Don't harm…him…Marko…please…do it for me…"

"Then…what…what do I do…?" He asked hopelessly.

Solaris writhed in pain, hurling forwards as another violent wet cough sent chills down her body, and even more blood escaped her mouth just as tears escaped her eyes. The saltwater mixed in with the dark red liquid, making it look as if she was crying blood red tears. She seemed to be bleeding endlessly, but the bleeding seemed abnormal.

"She's bleeding from the inside," Orestes spoke.

"W-what? How is that…?" Marko whispered, breath ragged, throat wound tight in fear.

"It's connected…" Solaris whispered and with one last painful gasp, she coughed with strange might and expelled a small dark object from her blood covered mouth that appeared to have been causing her the excruciating pain and agony that seemed to torture her from the inside.

With the last bit of her strength she drew a small rectangular shape, with a screen and buttons in blood on the snow and drew a line connecting the small dark object and the rectangular shaped machine.

At the last stroke, her paw slowly fell silently to the ground and Solaris ceased to move at all.

Her eyelids closed and Orestes and Marko watched in horror as her life fled before their eyes.

She was dead.

"So, what does she mean by 'it's all connected', huh? Tell me you worthless bird!"

The crazed wolf spat angrily, his hot breath almost knocking the wind out of the poor owl.

Marko seemed to have forgotten Solaris had died only moments ago and now turned back to spitting threats at Orestes. The poor owl thought pity of himself, muttering it was his father's fault for being a _boreal_; those birds were among the _smallest_ in the owl species. Seriously. As if being teased for his soft personality wasn't enough; he just_ had _to be annoyingly _small_. Why did life have to be so unfair?

"Look, if you calm down, maybe we can figure-

"Calm down? Are you fucking kidding me? My mate just _died_ and spewed _words of wisdom_ at me and I can't fucking figure out what she said! How can I remain _calm _at a time like this?"

"Alright. Let's take a look at the pictures one more time,"

They had been closely scrutinising the images that Solaris had drawn moments before her very death, but nothing seemed to ring a bell. A rectangular shaped object connected to a, well, blood covered, other object…what could that possibly mean?

Orestes gingerly grabbed the small dark object and ran it threw the snow until it had made an irregular shaped bloody patch in the snow. Now that it was clean Orestes scratched off some of the dust with the tip of his talons and looked closely.

Inscribed were the letters WWII. WWII… It sounded so _familiar_.

Orestes had been in Human captivity for a long time, several seasons ago and when he saw the Humans working in the labs he glimpsed those letters. _WWII. _He had met another owl, Soarine, who had successfully learned the Human language and taught him the Human alphabet and how words were pronounced. Orestes wasn't very good, but he still remembered some basics, like writing his name.

The objected had a familiar shape too. It was a disk. He took it in his beak and bit it, realizing it was metal. But it was very small, maybe around the size of an adult Human's thumbnail and it was also very thin, so thin, that if you were to look at it from the edges it would be invisible.

Orestes clumsily dropped it by accident and screeched in pain when it hit one of his toes, drawing a bead of blood from his feet. It was razor sharp. It must had punctured Solaris's main organs from the inside. But how did she get her leg nearly ripped off? Was that possible?

"Marko, I think I'm on to something,"

The nervous wolf, suddenly forgetting his grudge, rushed to his side, staring unblinking at the tiny disk.

"What? What is it?"

"I know how Solaris died. Most of it, anyway,"

"What? How?"

"See this disk?"

"Yeah. Barely…" Marko muttered to himself. The thing was so small it was almost like a dot in the snow.

"Well it's razor sharp in the edges. It must had pierced her organs from the inside,"

"Huh? What are organs?"

Orestes shook his head. _How _can a _predator_ having eaten blood and guts all his life have no idea what _organs_ are?"

"Well, your heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines-

"Uh, the only _organ_ I know is probably the first one you mentioned but…go on,"

"Well, your organs help you live. And if they are severely damaged, like this tiny disk goes inside of you and tears them up, you'll spew blood everywhere and ultimately, uh, die,"

"Okay, hold on a second. How do you know all of this?"

"My Dad taught me the anatomy of a mouse when I was bored from his kingdom speeches. He killed a mouse, ripped its chest open and showed me all the gory stuff. I forgot most of the things he told me, because I was pinching my nose from the stench of blood,"

"Uh, is there something wrong with your Dad? Why does he teach you this stuff? In such a brutal way?"

"Who knows? He just told me one day I would thank him for the information. I don't think that one day will ever come…"

"Okay, so, basically, Solaris swallowed this thing and it cut up all the stuff inside her and made her bleed to death?"

"Simple as that,"

"Then why's her leg ripped brutally off her body?"

"Uh…that I have not yet figured out…"

"You know, I think we're going to get ourselves into a huge mess that we won't be able to escape from so we might as well cooperate. And by the way, how did you get here in the first place?"

"Oh. I had a, well, a little disagreement with my Dad and he kind of hates me right now…"

"Oh, same here…I stole the last slab of meat for the winter and Ol' Pops never wants to see my ass around our cave ever again,"

"Well, it's a little more complicated than that…you see, my Dad is King Boreal, king of the owl, uh, kingdom, yeah…so, uh, he told me that we were going to work with, um, other bats whom I believe are pure evil, so I, uh, refused to be the heir and became a fugitive to defy him…so he, uh, kind of never wants to see my face ever again…"

"Hmmm. Tough. Well, we better get going and search for this rectangle shaped thing. It's gonna get dark in a few hours and then it'll be a real pain searching for it…"

"But what will we do when we find it?"

"I don't know, play around with all those buttons?"

"What if we get _killed_?"

"Wait, before we play with the buttons or after?"

Orestes shook his head. Marko was hopeless. It didn't matter _when_ they died, _if_ they did, nothing more was to be said. End of story.

"I'm serious, Marko. We can't waste our time like that. We need help. You know, I learned a little bit of the Human language while I was in captivity, but I only know some basics. We need real help. We need help from a _Human_,"

Marko froze for a second, stunned.

Then, without warning he pounced onto Orestes, baring his gleaming sharp teeth, growling angrily.

"How can you trust a _Human_ after all they did to us? They killed hundreds of my kind and they killed many of yours as well. Why would we suddenly seek for a _Human's_ help? Are you _asking_ for death…?"

"Seriously, Marko, what is _with_ you and attacking small innocent birds-

"_How_ do I know you're _innocent _and sm- well, uh, I-I guess you're kinda _small_…"

Orestes felt like he'd been hit by déjà vu over and over again. Nobody would ever let him forget that he was small. Ugh, he wished so badly that Shade was here, at least he'd have a friend smaller than himself to talk to.

Now that he thought about it, where was Shade? He had disappeared ever since he'd went on some adventure underground. He'd never seen him since. Orestes wished again that he was here. Shade was intelligent, maybe he could've helped them figure this out.

"Hey, fluffball. Wake up. Why're you staring into space?"

Orestes's eyes blinked and he was back from the flashbacks.

"Oh, um, I was just, uh, remembering some things…"

"Anything important?"

"No, I was just wishing that my really smart friend was here so he could help us out-

"Is he _Human_…?"

"Uh, no,"

"Good. Well, whatever. I still don't really like your stupid plan on trusting a _Human_ but if it's the best you got, then I guess we're going to have to follow it, seeing I don't have any other ideas…"

And without another word, Orestes took to the air, flying as fast as he could, while Marko raced on land to catch up, for even though that bird wasn't powerful in size, he sure soared like a dream.

As Marko ran intensely at the edge of a forest, legs almost flying in midair, he glimpsed a small dark shape in the distance. He was beginning to get tired even if the bitter cold winter wind felt so good rushing through his thick adrenaline-heated fur, cooling the warm sweat building up on his back and forehead. He called to Orestes who soared high in the sky and he swooped down, close to his shoulder.

"What is it?"

"I think I see something. Hey, by the way, what's your name? I don't want to call you 'worthless bird' all the time…"

"Oh, it's Orestes," He said, quite proud of his royal sounding name.

"Meh, that's too long…how about Oreo?"

"Huh? Why…?"

"Ore- whatever is too long for me to remember. I need a short-

"And yet you can remember Solaris-

"Shut up, she was my mate, okay? If I forgot her name she would probably desert me and I'd starve to death. I'm a good hunter, but see, I'm rather lazy and not the brightest bulb, so I kind of depended on her…"

"Ah, so she's the one that keeps you alive. Looks like you're gonna die pretty soon then,"

"Hey, I do quite well in emergency situations,"

"I sure hope so. I only catch enough for myself to eat, and I doubt that even if I have a couple mice left over, you'll be full with just that,"

"Hey, I'm gonna try my best so don't make me feel bad. And I'm helping you. You should be glad,"

"Hey, you're only helping because it involves Solaris. Otherwise, you wouldn't care and probably just eat me whole and spit out the feathers. Everyone has their own motives in bad situations. Don't think that I don't know…"

"Hmmm. So birdie isn't as stupid as I thought. That's good, considering I'm not that smart; so you can solve the brainy stuff while I'll be the muscle and body power,"

"Now, what did you see in the first place?"

Marko stopped and looked and nodded his head.

"Oh, yeah, uh, there appears to be a _Human_ over there in the distance,"

"Oh, and if I'm not mistaken I see it holding something rectangular,"

"Looks like we hit the jackpot. Let's go!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait a second! We can't just run there!"

"Why not?"

"We might scare it and then it will run away and _then_ where will we be?"

"Oh, yeah. So, what's your amazing plan, O' Great Oreo?"

"Well, I am going to fly there first, settle on the ground, hoot softly and blink my big golden eyes innocently and wave my wings around-

"What's _that_ supposed to do? You're gonna look stupid!"

"I have to get the Human thinking that I'm cute and adorable so it won't have to urge to run away screaming in fear,"

"How do you know that'll work? One of my good friends did the exact same thing and the Human beat him half-dead with a stick,"

"Because he was probably a very scary wolf, not a cute fluffy boreal owl,"

"What's the deal with boreal owls anyway?"

"We're small, cute and fluffy looking. Humans like those things. Trust me,"

Orestes flew off towards the Human and watched curiously, fascinated by her bright green eyes gazing at the machine and her delicate careful fingers, sliding smoothly over the buttons. She had long, thick, strangely dark hair, that appeared to have a natural sheen of blue, of which made her skin seem very pale. He was entranced.

Maybe she could help them.

Maybe she was the one.

**Warning: May Contain Spoilers**

******Okay, here are some notes to clear things up a bit.**

**1. The rectangular shaped object is a time machine, if some of you guys haven't figured it out. This device was briefly explained in chapters 4 and 5, but I guess it wasn't clear enough. That's okay, you know now.**

**2. Shade is still alive because Marina has traveled to the past using the time machine, accidentally pressing a certain button. The buttons and functions will be described in better detail in later chapters, I promise.**

**3. Marina's spirit is the Marina from the present that traveled to the past (when pressing the button, not her entire body traveled to the past). The body she went into was the body she had in that time period (when Shade was still alive) and it's roughly the same as the body she had in the present, except younger by maybe a year or so.**

**4. Luna is the name of both the bat and the owl, but there is no owl called Marina. I chose to name the owl Luna for a little twist, because I may or may not include her later unless I have to...Frankly I like Marina more than Luna...so...yeah...**

**I hope these notes answered your questions about parts of the story that are confusing.**

**If you guys have any other questions about the story please let me know so I can clarify.**

**Stay tuned! And for those of you reading The Ask and The Answer I promise I will update soon! ;)**


	9. Chapter 9: A Cold World

**Hi guys! So here is chapter nine, with a Human in the story! I apologize if the chapter starts to get really stupid around the middle and stays that way to the end...I was reading so many Deathnote crack fics I think it really messed with the seriousness of this story...I might rewrite it but...I might not. Personally, I like the strange humor in this chap...(Forever alone)**

Chapter Nine: Alice: A Cold World

Alice felt like she couldn't find her place in the world. Events, days, scenes seemed to rush by her, passing her by like whirlwinds, yet they didn't faze her, didn't affect her in any way. She felt like a still being, one of those people who were only there to watch, to see what the foolish world planned next, and had no interest in helping or hindering their plots, just plainly watching for her own amusement. All their petty ideas and wants were just stupid, childish, and she was one to talk, for she had just turned eleven.

At school, she was simply an outsider, someone people stayed away from, for she although she was quite beautiful for such a young girl, she was as silent as the bleak winter nights and as cold as the frigid gleaming icicles that hung on bare branches of dead trees, like the stalactites in dark caves. Her eyes were a delicate, irresistible shade of deep green, but her gaze was venomous, like a snake stalking its prey. No one wanted to bother with her and she wanted to bother with no one. They were all just there as pawns, characters of entertainment, right?

The only person that had ever fascinated her was, her father, who was an inventor, and she loved him, even if his inventions never succeeded. Her father had what most people didn't; a kind heart, determination and dreams, actual dreams, beautiful yet simple in its own way. Whenever she felt like the world was crashing down on her, he was always there to comfort her, to tell her everything was okay. And what surprised her most was that he wasn't lying. She really did believe it would get better.

Finally, one of his inventions had succeeded, a machine that could turn back time, so he could take her with him and show her when the world was young, when people were kind, gentle and noble. There was no way of getting rid of the horrid people because there were too many, and even though they all would eventually die, she was not compelled to wait that long for only new ones would sprout.

But then, the impossible happened. The machine was gone. She'd just come back from school, around four-o-clock as usual, and suddenly, she saw her father hunched at his desk, head buried in his arms. What had happened? How could he be so upset, so suddenly?

Something went wrong. Somehow the machine traveled to another time, a younger time, but still, the world was evil, only a short time after World War II. And somehow, the minute her father disappeared, running away into the woods, not far from there house, a sudden flash of white exploded around her and she was gone as well.

When she awoke, she was lying, freezing cold, half-buried in the thick snow, her summer dress soaked to her very skin. Her pale arms wrapped around her chest, trying her best to keep warm, legs going numb. As she walked she heard a sharp _snap_ and she tripped, falling headfirst back into the cold, wet snow. Damn it, she thought. It had been so hot that day, she wore her skimpiest sandals. The strap must've broken off. Now she had to go barefoot. Stupid…

Alice looked around and ripped off large chunks of bark from a maple tree. The tree seemed to cry out, screaming at her on how she was tearing its skin, and yes, she did feel sorry for it, but she would die soon if her feet froze. She tore off the rest of her sandal straps and some pieces of her long dress and messily tied them onto the two chunks of bark as makeshift snowshoes. That should do it. For now…

So there she went, wandering off, exploring this new world, teeth chattering, goose bumps prickling all over her arms, shivering violently. The scratchy bark itched her soles but it was better than her feet going numb and giving up on her. Then she saw some object on a snowy hill, shinning silver from the sun's light in the distance. Alice always had an eye for shiny things. She ran towards it, curious on what it could be.

She glared when she saw it. There it was. The machine that ruined everything.

* * *

Orestes looked curiously at that girl, who although was quite beautiful for a Human, looked quite scary with her eye brows furrowed furiously and her dark eyes like slits. She seemed to hate the object, which told him something, either she _knew_ about it…or she just hated it for no good reason. Orestes trusted his first instinct. He saw Marko plodding reluctantly towards him and he flew over, to ask him a question.

"Hey, Marko,"

"What's up, Oreo?"

"Do you think it's more likely that she knows what the thing does, or that she just hates it for no given reason?"

Marko thought for a second and then rolled his eyes.

"Um, it's kind of obvious, even for a guy like me…_Obviously_ she hates it for no given reason…"

"How do you hate something with no given reason?"

"I hate your face. Done. I'm awesome…right…?"

"Shut up, Marko. Now why do you think she hates it?"

"I don't know. Hey, I'm not the brain. You figure that out,"

Ugh. Orestes mentally slapped himself in face. Marko was impossible. And here Orestes thought he wasn't the smartest bird in the world…

"I'll see if your plan works, Oreo. I'm gonna act cute and see what happens,"

And before Orestes could stop him, Marko pounced on the girl, showering her with wet doggy kisses.

* * *

Alice swore repeatedly in her mind. The lovesick damn dog wouldn't leave her alone. First, he just jumped on her and licked all over her face. Now she was going to become a victim of animal rape.

Then suddenly, an angel fell from the sky. Well, a very tiny, feathery, bird-like angel. The angry little Boreal owl began to peck furiously at the wolf's head, which drove him nuts, and suddenly, the bird was being harassed instead of her.

She got up, shaking the snow out of her dress, feeling stupid that she was still alive. Maybe this was why World War II started. Love was just like pepper. Quite good in reasonable amounts, murderous if used excessively.

She must have just experienced excessive love.

* * *

"What in the owl kingdom were you thinking?! Have you gone mad?! You almost _killed_ that innocent child!" Orestes scolded him desperately.

Marko shook his head. Okay, so maybe he went a _little_ overboard. Okay, fine. Maybe more than a little…

"But she smelled so good and I never ate in like…three fucking hours…! It was all I could do to not swallow her whole!"

"Have you ever heard of the story of Little Red Riding Hood?"

"No. Have you?"

"No. All I know is that it doesn't end well. For the _wolf_," Orestes purposely emphasized _wolf_, for his own pleasure.

"Hey, what's the problem? If I ate her we can actually _take_ the object from her little fingers without her beating us half-dead with sticks!"

"We need _help_ from the Human,"

"No, we don't, idiot," Marko muttered, annoyed.

Then without a second thought he grabbed the child's arm in his mouth and threw her around a dozen meters away, her shrill screams following her entire journey. He grinned evilly and took the object in his mouth and dropped it proudly at Orestes cold feet.

"What the owl was _that_ all about?!"

"I got the object. Now let's check it out!"

"No. Dog. Go. Fetch."

Orestes angrily pointed with the tip of his talons at the poor girl, sprawling on the ground, looking sad and innocent, half-buried in the snow.

Marko rolled his eyes and swore under his breath as he ran away to get the stupid Human. Orestes wasn't as smart as he thought. The girl didn't like the cute act. She fucking hated it.

* * *

That blasted dog was going to _pay_, Alice thought horridly. First, it _pretended_ that it loved her and then, the stupid thing_ threw_ her away into the distance, as if it hated the _sight_ of her.

She sighed. What was wrong with the world these days?

**That was pretty weird wasn't it? Please don't hate on this chap, it will get better after I stop reading crack fics. Oh, boy...**

**See you guys later! ^_^**


	10. Chapter 10: Younger

**Hi everyone, I finally updated! So…the seriousness is back (thankfully) Now that I think about it chapter nine was really stupid. Because I am a perfectionist I may change it but because I am also a procrastinator I might not… (so the battle of perfectionism and procrastination begins…) I hope you enjoy this chapter because I really enjoyed writing this one! I enjoy writing about sides of characters people might not know about. In this case, Goth's **_**gentler side**_**… O.O… Enjoy!**

Chapter Ten: Younger

It always irritated Goth that Zotz was so controlling; so hungry for power. Why did he have to act so _superior_ all the time when it was completely unnecessary? The Vampyrum Spectrum feared him; they would do everything single thing he said, so for what reason did he need to appear so _domineering _like he _owned_ everyone…? It just didn't make sense, considering Zotz would be _nothing_ without his followers.

Then he thought back to the time he had failed to grant Zotz eternal night, so he would rule both the Upperworld and the Underworld. That time, at the solar eclipse, where he had to make one hundred sacrifices to satisfy that Lord of the Night; where he had died trying. Zotz could have been more forgiving to him, rather than first forcing him to spend thousands of years mining some tunnel from the Underworld sky to the living world. How faithful is he, considering he sacrificed his own _life_ in trying to please Zotz. Who did that sick, greedy Lord think he-

_Yessssssssss…Goth? You were ssssssssssssaying…?_

Damn it. How was he so _stupid_ that he never thought that Zotz might actually be _listening_?! Maybe Zotz was rather cruel, calling him a good for nothing scumbag, but really, he didn't have the biggest brain in the world.

"N-nothing, Zotz, oh, supreme Lord! I-I was o-out of line!"

The sly god snickered shrewdly and reluctantly decided to let it go.

_Anywayssssssss…have you found it yet…?_

"Huh? Um, I beg your pardon, Lord?"

_The object. You musssssst obtain it before Orestes and his newfound friend Marko and that troublesssssssssssome Alice get it. The wolf and owl aren't of too much concern it is that girl that will cause problems…_

"Uh, s-sure…I-I mean, y-yes, Lord. Yes,"

_Good. I will sssssssee to it you don't fail me thisssss time…_

His hissing voice evaporated into the air and the cold feeling that had surrounded Goth, filling his lungs with thick, suffocating, smoke-like fog disappeared as well. He sighed. Goth was supposed to look for this object that would, yes, _again_ make Zotz powerful and conquering. Why did it feel like he was like a puppet, forever being imprisoned by his owner, pulling the strings, making his moves? Had he lost his own free-will?

Goth smiled sadly, looking into the past. At first, serving Zotz was his entire life, his reason for existence. Zotz was like the light in his dark eyes, the moon's glow in the blackest of nights. He felt great, brave for giving himself to such a mighty and feared upon Lord, and the others in the Vampyrum Spectrum who also worshipped Him, made Goth feel strong.

But eventually, as they repeated rituals over and over again, it began to get dull, and sometimes it didn't make sense. But he couldn't voice his thoughts to others, because he was born into this royal family that already believed in Zotz, so he'd probably be banished if he rebelled. And not to mention he was ugly and scary-looking. Looks played such a large role in thinking what kind of personality he had, eh, he thought sarcastically. It wasn't fair.

Why did he really want to help Zotz create eternal night? Was it because he praised this amazing god? Or was it for his own personal purposes. Goth loved the night because it made hunting so much more interesting, stalking the prey when it could see him at all, not to mention him and his siblings used to have a lot of fun together surprising each other, mock-attacking each other to scare away the prey and make them harder to catch. Then, another thing was, his face was shrouded, so no one could judge his personality by how horrid his appearance was. It wouldn't be so hard to find friends.

Goth couldn't help it that bats, birds and whatever living things were out there, hated him. His bloodlust and constant hunger, need to eat animal flesh was something he had no control over. He was brought up that way. And the bats around him weren't always good-hearted ones. Most of them were tough and mean, always wanting to hurt the weak and laugh at the less fortunate. Goth became under their influence, for because of his frightful appearance, he could either be feared upon or laughed at as well. He hadn't wanted to be ridiculed, especially if he were to become the future king. It wasn't like making decisions were easy.

A low rumbling, like a distant thunderstorm emanated from his stomach. Goth sighed. He was hungry again. Quick as lightening he bolted down from his flight and snapped up a young squirrel in his mouth, immediately tearing its throat open, relishing the satisfying sounds of veins being torn and the familiar spattering of fresh blood on his muzzle. Annoyed by the lack of flesh on its face, he ripped the head off altogether and lightly glided to a large, evergreen tree branch, spanning with smaller branches that were covered with an abundance of needles and pine cones. He tore its heart out and ate it, chewing vigorously, enjoying the juice and squishy crunch it produced. With the squirrels body completely ripped open he gorged happily until his fur was matted with sweat and blood and he reeked of animal innards.

Then after his enthusiastic chow-down, he thought clearly to himself. How much did he really hate Shade? Now when he thought about it, he only hated Shade for defeating him in two things, having the luxury to stuff his stomach full with Silverwings roosting at Hibernaculum and bringing eternal night to Zotz. Goth chuckled, remembering that he'd eaten Throbb's remains after he got electrocuted, even though the scent of charred fur was almost unbearable and his body was pretty much scorched to a crisp with almost no satisfying blood and moist organs. It was disgusting. Then he killed a few squirrels and small rodents like he had and maybe a bird or two, but spent the rest of the winter starving, and luckily, he didn't die. It wasn't his fault he ate a lot.

But Goth felt the most defeated because it seemed no one seemed to understand him, no one even bothered to be his friend. He wanted to find this time machine, not to make eternal night because of Zotz. Zotz didn't _own_ him; he didn't own anyone. He wanted eternal night because it was the only time where he didn't have to be afraid.

In eternal night, he could be free.

**I apologize if this might have sounded OOC, but in my view, that would be Goth if he had a softer side. I will try to update more! Hopefully…**


	11. Chapter 11: A Time Never Begun

**It's really been a while! Well, it feels nice finally updating the first story I wrote. Brings back memories...sort of...It's kind of sad that today I just got everything planned out, who will live, who will die...Well, whatever. Enjoy!**

Chapter Eleven: A Time Never Begun

Chinook sailed without tire through the cloudless sky, nothing protecting his weak eyes from the sun. Slowly, but surely, he was getting there, to his tomorrow, though slowly, he was dying. He had flown for weeks without food; the insects wouldn't fly this high above the clouds, and the only water he drank was when he weaved through the wisps of clouds and the moisture within would cling to his muzzle. It was sufficient, just enough, but some days like today, there would be no clouds at all and the back of his throat would feel brittle and parched like the bark of an evergreen tree, but then in other days, it would rain heavily, like the sky knew he needed to survive.

Chinook didn't know how long he could go on like this, hoping for the best, though knowing that it wasn't likely to happen, but he knew he couldn't stop now. He was in search of something, something that would show him the reason for existence, and if he gave up now, he wouldn't know how close he was. It was painful at times, dodging the dangerous lightening and quenching his fear of the rumbling thunder that seemed to grow nearer with every roar and not to mention, avoiding the sprays of water when he flew over lakes and rivers, but if he learned to endure this pain, surely it wouldn't be as bad as he advanced on.

Shade, lined in quicksilver, was flying alongside him, watching him curiously but warily. Now that Chinook had found out that Shade had died, his figure became less visible, now just mere outlines and some features like his eyes and his ears. Shade now appeared to looked believably more like a spirit and it made Chinook rather dismayed, thinking now they were getting on so much better than how they had when Shade was alive. Why did time have to choose now to make things turn up?

"Specifically, what are you looking for, Chinook?" Shade asked curiously.

"I'm not quite sure. All I know is I want to find my reason for existence,"

"Do you have laments? I've seen other bats act this way when they are upset about troubles in the past…"

Chinook sighed, biting his lower lip and pressing his ears back. Why did Shade always seem to know everything? No matter how hard Chinook tried to hide something, it seemed Shade could always figure it out.

"Yeah…You're right…I'm rather troubled by the death of my parents, and my being not very clever…"

"Well, your intelligence is something you can change without going back in time, but the death of your parents isn't. I'm sorry Chinook, but I don't believe it's possible to resurrect the dead…"

"There has to be a way, Shade! I know there is. You know how I know? Luna, one of Griffin's friends had been burned to death by a twig he accidentally dropped on her and now she is alive and well! What more proof do I need?"

Shade suddenly got a dark, serious look in his eyes that tried to hide a painful truth about what really happened. He felt compelled to tell Chinook the real story and so he took a breath and decided to go on.

"I sacrificed myself, for Luna and Griffin. The reason I'm, well, not alive right now, is because Goth had killed Griffin, and so I died so my life force would go into Griffin and Luna's bodies. There's a price if you really want your parents to live again…"

Chinook had not bothered to ponder too much on what Shade had said; the minute he heard that there was actually still a way to see his parents again, he begged Shade for more details. With a sigh of reluctance, Shade agreed, explaining that they had to travel into a tunnel that leads to a world of the dead. He felt a feeling of foreboding when he realized that Chinook was suddenly very willing to go to that world just so he can see his parents one more time.

"You might never come back out. You might end up like me," Shade warned, looking at him regretfully.

Chinook looked out into the horizon with a wise look in his eyes, and he turned to him, smiling weakly.

"It's okay. All I want is to see Mom and Dad maybe for just one more time. And if I do end up like you, we will be in this together,"

Shade smiled but refused to look into his eyes. He was planning to live again, somehow and then Chinook would be left all alone if he became a spirit like Shade was now. But he decided to keep that thought to himself, so he wouldn't discourage Chinook's hopes of seeing his parents again.

"Do you still remember where that tunnel is, Shade?"

"Yeah. Follow me,"

So there they went, soaring lower, but much faster than before, picking up speed as Shade lead Chinook to that evergreen forest, weaving over and under branches full of fresh needles, with their familiar spice in the air. The chatter of songbirds became apparent as they accidentally knocked into some branches a few times, Chinook laughing as this time _he_ was the one having snow dumped on his back.

He shook his head, getting the stray clumps out of his fur, chuckling when some went flying and hit Shade, well, the snow went _through_ him, but Chinook pretended not to notice. It was like the good old times. Chinook missed those days and he knew Shade did too.

"Well, here we are," Shade said, gazing deep into the dark tunnel before them, just large enough for them to dive in one by one.

Chinook looked into it, with strange fascination and Shade had to flap his wings a few times to get his attention. It was like he had been hypnotized.

"Are you ready?" He asked, expectantly.

"I always was," Chinook said, with a familiar sense of overconfidence, arrogance, though he was grinning at him, chuckling at the end.

"Sure you were,"

And with that, they dived in, tumbling into the tunnel, the two bats shrieking and laughing as they fell faster and faster, like the pull of gravity grew stronger as they reached deeper depths than Chinook had ever imagined.

**This story isn't going to be perfect. There is going to be tragic things that happen near the end, even though this story is about changing tragedies...I know...hypocrite much...Well, all we can do is hope that the characters are happy in the end! Bye! ;) **


	12. Chapter 12: A Moment of Rejoice

**So, I've decided I'll take out Orestes, Marko and Alice from this story, because it would get too confusing, but after I finish writing Chronowing, I'll be sure to make a side story for them (their adventures with the time machine) I might also take out Luna (the owl) because her story wouldn't relate to the plot. I want to focus more on the main characters first, and then worry about the other minor characters. **

**Enjoy! ;)**

Chapter Twelve: A Moment of Rejoice

The moment Shade and Chinook had entered the Underworld, Shade appeared to have a body again; he'd regained his fur, his wings, his ears and all of the other components that would make up his figure. Chinook had been shocked for a moment, but then calmed down, but he decided to keep the fact that _he _was glowing and Shade wasn't, to himself. Maybe the glowing meant something, but he didn't want Shade to feel hurt or anything.

"So this is the place? It's definitely not very jolly around here…" Chinook chuckled uneasily.

All around them were barren fields of gray upon gray, some places black as obsidian, others paler, but not by much. The sky seemed to be made of dull rock with distant points of light, like stars, and it seemed to be moving, though very slowly. There were few forests, where there were, the trees seemed to be in a ghostly state; black crumpled leaves on dying sodden branches. A quiet chatter could be heard from not far, and Chinook was curious on if there were others here as well.

He beat his long, powerful wings back and forth, sailing low, confused by the sudden heaviness of the air, like some invisible force was threatening to pull him downwards. He wanted to fly higher, but it was like something wasn't letting him; like it wanted him to stay here, forever. Shade followed close behind him, seeming to struggle as well, but yet, still able to keep up with him steadily.

Maybe the heavier something was, the harder it was to stay aloft. Shade was lighter than him by quite a bit. Suddenly that theory seemed to make a lot of sense.

"Do you hear that? I think there are other bats here! Maybe my parents are here as well!"

Shade smiled at him sadly, nodding. He refused to look at Chinook's hopeful eyes, for finding his dead parents would only make matters worse. He might die here if he was beaten to death by one of the bats in the forest and then it would all end here.

The constant murmurs grew louder as they neared the forest, and when they dived inside, through the rustling leaves, a whole world of bats were revealed. They filled the tree branches, cheerfully calling to each other, hundreds of black, leathery wings flapping up and about. Chinook was in awe, while Shade, no longer alive, just smiled sadly, again, at some of the bats who didn't know they were as well.

Chinook looked around anxiously, and he froze when he saw his parents, Plato and Isis, watching from the higher branches, not seeming to notice him. He pumped his wings with all his might, building up a sweat when he finally reached them, settling on a branch right beside them. His mother's eyes were in tears and his father smiled proudly as Chinook rejoiced, embracing them, finally able to be with his family again. Tears began to flow down his eyes as well, not because he was weak, but because he had been strong, for too long. He hid his face in his mother's warm shoulder. He didn't want anyone to see that such a young, healthy bat was crying like a newborn.

"I missed you so much, Chinook. I was so worried," His mother whispered, barely able to get out the words.

"Mom, I thought I'd never see you again…!" He replied back, his voice hoarse and a little pitchy, like when he had been no more than a baby.

"I was always proud of you, son. I hear that you always talked about me with such love and passion. I could never be happier than now, now that I see you are happy and well," His father said, pride radiating from his voice.

Chinook breathed silently wishing the moment never end. Seeing his parents as if they never died; it hurt him so much, yet he felt so happy at the same time. It brought on the cold fact that they could never come back, but now, it was almost as if it really happened. In his mother's lifeless eyes, he could finally see a small flickering light of joy.

Shade watched from below, feeling happy as well, yet also sad. He could never truly embrace his parents like Chinook had, because he wasn't alive anymore. But maybe it wasn't so bad. If he could be in Marina and Griffin's hearts, maybe it was good enough. He could never think of killing Chinook to become alive again, because then it would only make him feel loss and regret while he lived. Chinook had lost enough. All he had was his life, now.

Chinook slowly glided down, joining Shade, with an earnest look in his eyes.

"Do we really have to leave, Shade? I don't think I'll ever see my parents again if we do,"

Shade thought long and hard about what he had asked, what he wanted.

"You can choose to stay here forever, or you can bring your parents with you and follow me. I want to travel through the Tree, back into the real world. I don't mind if you stay but I think it's better if you come with me and go into the real world and leave the past behind,"

"But, Shade, I-

"I was like you once, Chinook, wanting to live again, so I could be together with Marina and Griffin. But maybe we should just forget about our past troubles and move on. Your parents can never come back to life again, unless you sacrifice your own life force so it pours into them-

"Then I'll-

"No, please don't do that. You know that isn't what your parents would truly want. Right?"

Chinook looked like he might cry again. But he looked up at the sky, taking a big breath, letting the air fill his lungs and clear his mind. He turned to Shade, returning the sad smile, but his voice remained strong.

"Shade, I won't kill myself so my parents can live again, but, I _will_ take them with me, to this _Tree_ you are talking about. What is that place, that Tree?"

"It will take you to where you truly belong,"

Chinook's parents had settled beside them, joining to commotion. Chinook quietly whispered that he would take them somewhere, somewhere where they would be truly happy. His mother whispered if he would be there too and he nodded.

So, the three bats flew along, following close behind Shade, deciding maybe it was best, to leave this place and find a better tomorrow.

* * *

**I haven't been doing Griffin's POV for a while so I think I'll do that for the next chapter, but I also want to get into Goth's POV too. I don't think he'll be using the time machine, though. I want him to figure out his problems without using that machine because other than the fact that he failed Zotz, nothing too tradgic really did happen. See you guys later! :)**


	13. Chapter 13: A Sudden Change

**Hi everyone! It's really been a while! I decided to do something different for this story to make things a little more interesting. Enjoy!;)**

**P.S About the character deaths I had planned, I think it is possible to change them without having to worry about it being confusing...:) (personally I don't like it when characters die so I am a little bit happier now)**

**P.P.S The plot seems to be getting pretty confusing now (even to me...) so this is basically what is going to happen (in rough) because I recently made some adjustments...:) All of the characters will eventually experience the time machine...but it will make different things happen to different characters (eg. Some characters will have different bodies than they had before and others may enter the future) This will keep it interesting so I can convince myself to update more often...which is a goal that I am always abandoning...:/...Not only that, but that also means characters will also means it will be more interesting for everyone :)...I just have to make sure it doesn't get too crazy...O.o...o.O**

Chapter Thirteen: A Sudden Change

Something felt off.

Griffin's eyes slowly transitioned to his bright surroundings, and shook his head, looking around curiously. This place was completely unfamiliar, from the pale yellow walls to the strange, foreign objects organized neatly all around him. The room had a warm atmosphere to it, and although it wasn't home, Griffin really did feel like it was something close to it.

But the first disturbing thought that struck him, made him forget the warmth completely.

Instead of hanging upside down like he always did, he was _lying down_. On his back.

Griffin stiffened, running his fingers through his hair, a motion done on instinct.

Wait a second.

He never had _fingers._

He lifted his wings to find that they had been replaced with arms.

Griffin slowly got up, finding that his short toe claws had been replaced by a pair of long pillars he believed was called _legs_.

His mind was still blurry so he had to rush to a large rectangle of reflective material to see what he was.

Griffin froze.

He was a _Human._

"Griffin! Get over here!"

Although he was still horribly confused, he stumbled along, getting used to his legs.

He opened the door to find he was surrounded by even more rooms and headed to the room where the voice was coming from.

There, was another Human, like himself, but she had golden eyes and a slightly sharp nose.

"Who're you?" He asked, his words clumsily tumbling out of his mouth, like the steps he'd taken to get to her.

"I'm Luna! Can't you see the resemblance?" She asked, looking at him with earnest, pleading eyes.

"W-what happened to us? H-how did we become…?" Griffin asked, hoping that Luna knew the answer.

"I don't know. But maybe-

Griffin groaned, shaking his head, and sat down, sealing his eyes shut.

Maybe if he thinks hard enough he can remember.

His memory is probably just a little wobbly right now, like he was.

"Griffin? What are you...?"

"Be quiet, please, Luna, I'm trying to remember something…"

Griffin bit his lip, clenching his fists, but it was to no avail, it was like someone cut off the connection, all he saw was pitch darkness. It was like something burned a hole into his memory.

"Damn it all, I can't remember anything!"

"Griffin, neither can I-

"Well, then what do we do?! Shade can't see me like this! And Luna, even if you _do_ find your parents, they won't even _recognize_ you! We're done. It's all-

"Will you _get_ a _grip_?! Okay, it's not my fault that you're always so downright cynical! Can we just _try_ to figure something out here, I'm just as lost as you are but at least I'm not _complaining_ about the way things are! You know, you _never_ seem to be satisfied with the present. There is _always _something wrong with it."

Griffin was about retort when he saw that there were tears in her eyes, right before she noticed it too and refused to look at him anymore.

"You know, sometimes change isn't so bad. It helps us grow and adapt. We become stronger," Luna muttered through gritted teeth.

"Well, what if I don't-

"Life isn't fair, you know. You can't expect that it will pity you all the time, especially if you keep up that selfish attitude of yours. Sometimes you just have to live with the fact that there are some things that you can't control. Until you accept that, you will never be happy with anything,"

"But how do I do it, Luna? How do I accept the fact that I can never see Shade and Marina ever again? It just isn't fair,"

"You can still see your parents, you know. You just won't be able to _be_ with them,"

"Then what is my purpose in life anymore? I've lost my goal of resurrecting my father and righting all the wrongs that happened in the past. Everything I've been aiming for no longer exists. Is there even a reason to keep on going?"

Luna turned to face him again, her eyes showing a look of pity, but her gaze was firm.

"There is always a reason to keep on going. So what if you can never see your parents again? You must have other means for living,"

"But, what could they be?"

"We don't know yet, but that doesn't mean we can't find out. We might get a little lost along the way, but I know we can find those reasons together,"

Griffin felt rather ashamed that he had gotten so angry at Luna. She was just trying to be helpful, trying to deal with the situation at hand and he had just made it worse for her. Yes, it was the way that he was, always concentrating on the dark side, but maybe he needed to look at the problem at a different angle. Maybe if he looked at it with an alternative approach it might not seem so bad at all.

"But what about your parent, Luna? Don't you want to find out what happened to them?"

She smiled sadly.

"I had a dream that I was in a dark tunnel, chasing after a white light in the distance that seemed to move farther away, the closer I drew to it. I knew it was a lost cause, it was no use in chasing after something I could never catch up to, but for some reason I just couldn't give up, it was like there was an invisible string connecting me to that light and I could twist out of its grasp. Suddenly the light shattered, swallowing me whole and I was blinded for a few seconds,"

Luna paused before continuing on.

"When I opened my eyes, I was in a place I had never seen before. I felt like I was everywhere at once and nowhere at all. It wasn't familiar to me, but a greater power within me whispered that I knew where I was. I saw my mother and father. Their wings had never been so white, so pure before and their eyes never sparkled with such life, such happiness. Their bodies glowed in golden light as they flew towards me, embracing me. I had never felt such warmth and bliss flooding into me, so fast. I whispered to them where we were and they simply replied that it wasn't important. They also told me to stop searching for them. I pleaded that they would never let me go and they held me in their tender embrace, until everything faded to black and I found myself back in the tunnel, but the white light no longer appeared so the tunnel faded into blankness, not white, just empty. And then I woke up,"

Though she didn't notice it herself, Griffin saw that Luna was crying. Slowly, he went over, and put arm around her, like she had when he first met her. Unlike walking, the motion didn't feel strange at all.

"It's okay," She whispered. "-at least I know where they are now,"

"Would you rather have not found out?" He asked his voice suddenly quiet.

"No. I'm glad they told me. It would have been wasted time if I kept on searching blindly for them,"

"Hey, that's only because you found out what happened to them. If you didn't find out and I pointed out that you could be wasting time looking for them, you'd just get mad or not believe me," He muttered.

Luna rolled her eyes.

"Could you, like, not be smart for once? It's a little annoying,"

"Oh. Sorry,"

She smiled at him and chuckled, ruffling her fingers through his hair.

"Just kidding. It's nice to have someone who knows me so well,"

Griffin felt a strange feeling inside of him when her fingers grazed his hair. The tenderness of her touch was soothing and yet it made him shiver at the same time, but not necessarily from the cold.

"Hey. Earth to Griffin. Come on; let's go for a walk,"

"Huh? Oh, sure," He mumbled, his words stumbling over themselves again.

He took her hand and together they walked out of the strange place and into the outside world.

The sharp bitterness of the cold breeze hit Griffin so suddenly it made his eyes snap open completely, but he didn't mention the temperature, wanting to concentrate on other things, the way the dwellings of the Humans were so neatly organized in lines, all looking exactly the same, how the grass was tended so nicely on some while others were overflowing with strange creeping growths that even took over half of the walls, how the warmth of Luna's hand suddenly made it feel like it wasn't so cold anymore. Heck, maybe the reason he had been freezing was because he'd been sweating bullets earlier and the dampness of his back was what gave him chills.

"Doesn't it feel so nice, to be walking around and not having to worry if some predator suddenly pounces on you, and eats you whole?"

"Well, it kind of defeats the thrill of winter; the edge that danger gives you is quite satisfying if you think about. It keeps your blood pumping, the adrenaline running,"

She laughed, playfully punching his shoulder.

"Hey, you were Mr. Safety First just a while ago and now suddenly you crave danger? See, this is what I'm saying, you're _never_ happy with the present,"

But she was still smiling, so it didn't matter.

"Okay, so maybe I lied a little…It's actually real cool that I don't have to always watch my back in case something jumps on me and kills me. You know, I've never felt this calm for such a long period of time. This must be how the Humans feel, never having to worry about anything. Always being at the top…"

"Hey, I just realized something. What about food?"

"What do you mean? We're Humans, Luna. We can run into the forest with our poisonous sweet gas tanks and knock out as many bugs as the eye can see,"

She gave him a weird look and he quickly added whatever she ate too.

Now Luna was really laughing, shaking her head like she couldn't believe it.

"I don't know, Griffin. Suddenly rodents don't interest me as much as they used to…Hey, what's this stuff…"

Luna dug into a pocket in her jacket, finding some strange looking metal pieces, circular, all in different sizes; some were silver, some bronze and some both.

"Hey, I've seen those before. Humans always seem to be exchanging them for things,"

"You think we can exchange them for something to eat? I'm hungry,"

"Sure, why not? I see some buildings over there that have large pictures of Human food. Maybe they've got stuff,"

Luna nodded, but then when they got there, there was another problem.

"Now…which one do we choose from?"

"Hmmm…how about _Tim Hortons_?"

"Tim Hortons? That doesn't sound very appetizing to me…But then again, I've never tried a Tim Hortons before, so I guess there's a first time for everything,"

When they walked in, Griffin breathed in a sigh of relief, as it was warm and the atmosphere seemed pretty friendly too.

Luna decided to be brave and be the one to ask.

"Um, hi…?" She mumbled to the Human standing next to a strange machine that collected the metal pieces she held in her hand.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"I'd like to have a Tim Hortons please,"

The Human gave her a weird look.

"Uh, did you run out or something? Oh, than that's okay…um, is there anything else I can have?"

"Well, we have coffee, doughnuts, muffins-

"Oh, coffee sounds great! I'll have a coffee!"

"Alright. Would you like sugar or cream?"

"Uh, what do those do…? Sorry I'm new to this place…" Luna replied sheepishly.

"Well, sugar makes it sweeter and cream makes it…creamier…I guess…"

"Uh…I'll just have a plain one, without all that stuff,"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, and I'll also have a dough…dough…what are they called again?"

"A doughnut,"

"I'll have one of those too. Thanks,"

"Alright. That'll be $4.07,"

"Uh, huh?"

"Please, don't tell me you don't know what four dollars and seven cents are…"

"Uh…"

Luna just thrust the metal pieces into the Human's hand.

"Is that enough?"

The Human counted it and nodded.

"That's $4.08, would you like a penny?

"Um, from my memory I only ordered the coffee and the doughnut, so no thank you,"

Luna heard a couple chuckles behind her and so after she took her coffee and doughnut, she quickly went back outside with Griffin following close behind her.

"How do you think I did? Other Humans were laughing at me like I said something dumb,"

Griffin chuckled, putting his arm around her. He didn't know why he did it, it just seemed like the natural thing to do.

"You did fine. I mean, you got the coffee and the doughnut didn't you?"

"Yeah, I'll try the coffee and you can have the doughnut. You know, I don't understand why they named it Tim Hortons if they keep running out of them. It's really confusing. They should name it Coffee and Doughnuts and Muffins and Cream and Sugar. They never run out of those,"

She handed him the strange hoop shaped thing while she drank the dark liquid called coffee.

Griffin almost burst out laughing at the funny expression Luna made when she to a sip.

Luna coughed and spit the liquid onto the ground, tossing the still full cup into the street, hitting a vehicle and causing the Human inside it to scream strange words that she didn't understand. She breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't the only one who hated coffee.

"Was it that bad?" Griffin asked, laughing.

"Oh, it was bad alright, it was disgusting. How is the doughnut?"

"It's very sweet. I don't really like it that much…"

Luna snatched it from his fingers and chucked the whole thing in her mouth, groaning in happiness.

"Oh, this is so good…"

"Hey, maybe we should be heading back now…It's been a long day…"

"No, let's go over there! I see some forests in the distance. It'll feel like home again,"

Griffin as beginning to get rather cold, but he didn't admit it and followed her.

As they entered the path, it felt familiar to them, the echoes of bird song ringing through the air, and the spicy scent of the evergreen trees wafting around them. They neared a frozen lake and before he could stop her she ran onto it, running around like a newborn crazily trying to fly.

"This is so cool! It's like I'm walking on water except it's so slippery! Whoa!"

Luna lost her footing and slipped, falling, onto her bottom. Griffin ran over to help her, but slipped too, crashing into her, just as she was about to get up. They tried helping each other up, but every time one of them helped the other, the opposite would slip and fall back down again. Finally Griffin gave up and took Luna by the arm, dragging her with him as he crawled on his knees, all the way to the edge of the frozen pond.

There, he finally stood up, but when she suddenly took his hand, he panicked as a hot flash of red rushed to his cheeks, and fell face-first into the snow.

Griffin sputtered, shivering, trying to get all the snow off of himself. It felt like he had been electrocuted by power lines or something.

"Can we go home now? He asked, still shaking from the cold.

"Sure," She said smiling.

As they headed back to their dwelling, Griffin asked:

"Do you think we found one of the reasons why I should still keep on going?"

Luna looked at him, smiling warmly.

"Maybe not yet, but I think we're close. I just know it,"

She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze and suddenly Griffin didn't feel so cold.

"You're so warm," Griffin whispered his other hand brushing Luna's cheek.

"Well, you fell into the snow,"

"Hey, you were the one who started dancing on the frozen lake and got us in this mess in the first-

"Whoa!"

Luna slipped on a stray piece of ice on the ground, falling backwards into the snow.

"Luna! You should be more careful where you're going,"

"Hey, at least you're not the only one who's freezing now,"

"Come on, you didn't have to sacrifice your warmth for me,"

Luna shook her head, shivering but still in a good mood.

"You know, I still remember when I first saw you, shivering bitterly on that branch. The look on your face was of such deep loneliness. I realized I never wanted to see you look so sad and lonely ever again,"

Griffin couldn't deny that he felt warmth, and the warmth was within Luna.

He had never felt a feeling so wonderful before.

Suddenly, a spark lit up inside him. Maybe there were reasons to keep going. He just had to look in the right places.


	14. Chapter 14: A Swift Decision

***nervous laugh***

**Uh, hey, about how I would be uploading more often...Um, that's getting pretty hard for me, so don't be surprised if I randomly stop uploading for um, several weeks, or months...Yeah, the homework i've been getting lately isn't helping...**

**Anyways this is Goth's POV...I actually had this two months ago and forgot to upload it . Silly me...**

**This story really feels like its dragging so I will try to pick up the pace...when I discover how... See ya :)**

Chapter Fourteen: A Swift Decision

Somewhere in the world, the former king of a mighty army flew silently across the sky. It didn't matter to him that he was one to be hated and feared upon by many. It was a cruel world and he had gotten used to its cold judgments a long time ago.

Once, in the distant past, he had thought that if you ruled the world, or a nation, maybe it wouldn't matter, maybe the judgments others passed on to you wouldn't affect you as much. But he was wrong. No matter how powerful you were, judgments remained the same. But at least there was one thing he could count on.

Darkness was an old friend, always there when he needed it, always protecting him, shielding his figure under its massive wing. Darkness was his true guardian, his true fortress. He didn't need anyone else. Or so he thought.

Zotz, as His name suggested, was like a bolt of lightning into his life. Like lightning, He exuded great power and strength, but also like lightning the power was short-lived which was why it needed a strong base to protect it. For Zotz, his base was His followers, His believers. Without them, His power could never be as great as it was now.

Frankly, for the past few weeks, Goth had had enough of His egotistical attitude and wanted nothing more than to desert Him, the once mighty God of the Night he had once thought was the meaning of his life. Heck, it was becoming more and more apparent that it may just be the other way around; Zotz would not stop following him around like a tortured spirit, whispering threats and spitting ultimatums that he would certainly not fulfill, because day by day Goth was slowly losing his faith in Him.

_Belief is something immensely powerful_, he thought, _but when you choose to abandon it, slowly, it loses its power, its hold on you._ Goth no longer felt devoted to Zotz, and the stories that had been passed on in his wealthy heritage for generations seemed to slowly shrink to just that: stories. They lost their once lustrous brilliance, like the trees losing their leaves in autumn, and suddenly, it was like the thick tangle of chains bound around his soul, loosened, until they eventually broke apart and diminished into ashes. He had never felt such freedom before.

See, the unfortunate thing was, there was something about the object that Zotz kept on referring to, that caught Goth's interest. It could go back in time. No, it wasn't the eclipse that Goth wanted to change anymore. Zotz was no longer an essential part of his life and He knew it. Goth wanted to go back in time, far enough that he would be rid of Zotz entirely, or maybe just be reborn in a different body so Zotz no longer concerned him.

Goth knew very well by now that Zotz could see everything and anything, so obviously, He would know the location of this object. Unfortunately, He would not tell him where it was if Goth no longer served him, as their relationship would become that of two complete strangers.

So this was the decision that he had to make. To pretend that he still served Zotz until he found the object, or find it on his own. The first option would quickly become a burden, but at least he was guaranteed to completing his goal of finding the object. The second choice presented more freedom, but it would be a lot more time consuming and it would also force him into the risky method of trial and error that would not promise success.

Goth felt compelled to choose the second option despite the fact that it wasn't the better choice, at least at first glance, anyway. The only con the first option produced was the fact that he would be in the control of Zotz. The second route displayed seemingly larger factors of drawbacks; he could never find the object, there was a larger chance he would get killed or simply die in the process, and not to mention he couldn't be the only one looking for this object either.

But then Goth thought harder. All these problems existing in the second option were also a possibility if he chose the first option as well. There was still a chance that he would never find the object if he followed Zotz as He could _lie_ to him (and that was actually very _probable_, considering the fact that Goth no longer listened to him anymore, so that would give Zotz all the reason to kill him off once and for all).

If Zotz gave him false information, the other two cons: dying and competition, didn't even matter as false information would just turn into time wasted. In the end, both options were dreadfully similar. It just narrowed down to one factor, whether he trusted his _own_ judgment more than Zotz. And now, it seemed obvious that trusting Zotz was no longer a reliable option.

So this was it. He had to go his own ways now. Goth took a deep breath and closed his eyes once more, spreading his wings as wide as he could. He'd never felt quite so free in his life. But he never felt quite so lonesome as well.


End file.
